Beyond The Veil
by laoisbabe
Summary: Searching for a missing child, Jack stumbles onto something much bigger. However, it ends up hitting closer to home when one of their own vanishes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Set late Season 5 - apres-Ann, pre-Brian & Finn. Slight A/U. Disclaimer: As always and with much regret, I do not own the rights to WAT.**

BEYOND THE VEIL

Chapter 1

Four days and nothing! Special Agent Jack Malone sat staring at the child's photograph that looked up at him from the open case file on his desk. It was late in the evening and his exhausted team were taking it in shifts to go home and get some much-needed rest. They had been working around the clock for the last four days and much to their frustration, they were getting nowhere.

Amy Nolan was their latest missing person. She was a beautiful, innocent child, nine years old and up until then, unspoiled by the ugliness of life. Her parents had done everything right. They educated her, provided for her physical and emotional needs and kept her safe. They tried to cocoon her from all that is wrong with the world. Having recently met them, Jack considered them good people. They didn't deserve what they were going through, he thought. Mind you, nobody did.

Their child had just vanished. It had happened so simply and so quickly. She and her Mom had arrived home from the market and parked in the driveway of the family home, a modest bungalow outside Brentwood. As her mother unloaded the bags of groceries from the car, she asked Amy to bring the emptied trashcan in from the sidewalk. Her mother had only been inside a couple of minutes. When she came back outside, her daughter was nowhere to be seen. The trashcan was still on the sidewalk. Her daughter had vanished into thin air.

As with all his cases involving missing children, Jack was finding the case very tough, both physically and emotionally. He had barely slept over the last few days, working around the clock to try and bring this child home safely. He could associate completely with what her parents must be going through. Having daughters himself, cases like this always tended to strike a chord close to his heart. Jack considered it fortunate, though, that Amy's parents were oblivious to the horrors that Jack himself had witnessed throughout his career, the scenes that haunted his dreams. He knew only too well that once 48 hours had passed, the likelihood of finding the girl alive had severely diminished. They were now well past that window.

Almost immediately after the initial report to the FBI that first day, Jack and his team had canvassed the Brentwood neighbourhood and interviewed dozens of people. TV news reports ran her picture and asked the public for help. An Amber Alert had been issued. All this had pretty much drawn a blank. One neighbour did mention seeing a man parked in the street, sitting in a silver or grey sedan. They didn't recognise the model nor get the licence plate. However, it was enough for Jack to order Danny and Elena to pull the list of registered sex offenders and to cross-check it with DMV records. This was done and after the first twenty-four hours they still had nothing. They interviewed half a dozen men, all who had convictions and who lived within a two-mile radius of the Nolan home. However, following the interviews and having checked their alibis, the FBI was satisfied that they were not involved in Amy's disappearance.

The day after her disappearance, the Tuesday morning, Jack and Vivian visited Amy's school. They spoke to her teacher and some of her classmates. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A happy child, a good student, a good friend and lots of fun were phrases used frequently in their conversations. She was just a regular kid. Viv and Jack were walking through the hallway of the school, talking to the principal as they returned to her office when Jack noticed a maintenance man crouched down, talking to a young pupil, his hand on her shoulder. At first glance, it seemed innocent enough, but then the man turned his head in Jack's direction. Their eyes met. In that split second, Jack's gut instinct kicked in. When the guy held Jack's gaze and then turned back to the child with a disturbing smirk on his face, Jack just sensed something was wrong with that picture.

When they got to the principal's office, Jack asked for the names of all staff, both teaching and non-teaching. She duly obliged and armed with the list, Viv and Jack returned to their office and quickly began to check the backgrounds of everyone listed. To Jack's dismay, with the exception of a few DUIs and one breach of the peace, everyone on the school staff was as clean as a whistle. On the screen in front of him, however, remained a single DMV photo, that of Paul Bartlett. He was the guy whom Jack had witnessed talking to the child in the school corridor. He stood staring at the photo, without speaking.

Vivian noticed this and asked why he was so interested in this one particular staff member. Jack explained to her what he had seen and reluctantly told her his theory. Ever the pragmatist, Viv was quick to remind him not to get blinded by his unfounded theory because it could lead the investigation in the wrong direction. Jack knew she was right, that they couldn't afford to waste time on a hunch. Inwardly, though, Jack just couldn't let it go. He made a mental note of Bartlett's address. It turned out it was only a mile and a half from the Nolan residence. He asked Martin to check out this guy's history and background. Martin discovered that Bartlett moved around a lot, never staying in a job for very long. Most of his employment was in large organisations such as schools, hospitals and the occasional sports facility. He also checked to see if there had been any cases of child disappearances or assaults around the times he worked in those areas. There was only one reported incident involving a child in one town where Bartlett had worked previously. Paul Bartlett's name was not even mentioned in the police report. Despite hours of trawling through records and police reports, they found nothing alarming in his background. Jack, however, was not convinced.

He had witnessed this guy in action, albeit only for a few fleeting seconds, but in that short time he saw how trusting the child was of him. But Jack was more perturbed by the flicker of whatever it was he saw in Bartlett's eyes. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it bothered him. By that stage, it was drawing close to the golden 48-hour window. Jack knew the statistics all too well. If this little girl was found dead because of the FBI's inaction, Jack would never forgive himself. He pushed his team to the brink to find something, anything, that would merit a search warrant. Despite their best efforts, they could find nothing incriminating.

Jack felt hog-tied. A little girl's life was at stake. Against his better judgement, Jack ordered that Paul Bartlett's house be searched the next morning. His team knew that they didn't have probable cause or a warrant, but they had worked with Jack long enough to trust his methods. They arrived out at Bartlett's house within the hour. They knocked and as soon as he opened the door, they barged right in, Martin and Danny subduing Bartlett, who was, by then, livid. He hurled abuse and protested his innocence as he watched the agents search his home, rifling through his personal possessions. He screamed that they had no warrant and that were infringing on his civil liberty and made no bones about his intention to sue.

After searching for over an hour, much to everyone's frustration, they turned up nothing. It galled him, but Jack had no choice but to walk away. He resisted his primitive urge to take Bartlett by the neck and to throttle the missing girl's whereabouts out of him. Maybe if his team hadn't been there, he would have, but he had already taken too much of a liberty and knew that by doing so he had jeopardized any chance of a case against this guy going to trial. But he didn't care. His priority was to find the child alive. Others could worry about the justice end of things. He stormed out of the house, incensed and frustrated, leaving Samantha and Vivian to question an unco-operative Bartlett.

Paul Bartlett sat on the sofa in his living room, looking pleased with himself. He was less than helpful, making the occasional lewd comment to Samantha and leering at her. He disgusted her and Sam was starting to get a sense of what Jack was feeling towards him. Eventually the team left the house, no further on in their case than they were when they arrived. Bartlett stood at the front door and watched as they drove away. Jack felt sick when he saw the smug look of satisfaction on Bartlett's face as they drove past. It only added fuel to the gnawing feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

By the time they returned to the office, Alex Olzcyk was waiting, pacing around Jack's office. He didn't look very happy. He ordered Jack to close the door as he entered. Once the door was closed, Olzcyk let fly, furiously berating Jack. He had just received a call from a lawyer representing Paul Bartlett, who told him that his client would be pressing charges for harassment if the FBI approached him again without a warrant.

"What the hell are you playing at, Jack?" he yelled. "If one of your agents entered a premises without a warrant, you'd suspend him. You have a short memory," he said, reminding him of how the prosecution of Graham Spaulding had collapsed because of a similar lapse in judgement. He ordered Jack to stay away from Paul Bartlett unless he had hard, irrefutable evidence that he was somehow involved in the case.

"Amy Nolan is still alive. I just know she is and if bending a few rules helps me get her back to her parents, then I'll bend them," Jack responded boldly.

"No you won't. I know you, Jack Malone. You'll break 'em all, but at what cost?" Olzcyk asked.

Jack did his best to explain to Olzcyk his theory about Bartlett, but Alex was having none of it.

"She's nine years old!" Jack reminded him.

"Play by the rules, Jack, or I'll have no problem taking you off the case," Olzcyk warned. "I mean it, Jack."

Jack glared at Olzcyk but somehow managed to hold his tongue for fear of saying something that he might regret later.

"And stay away from Bartlett!" Olzcyk shouted back as he left the office.

Jack remained silent, deliberately not agreeing or disagreeing to do so. Olzcyk turned away, still fuming with rage as he stormed down the corridor towards the elevator. Samantha was in the bullpen when she noticed Alex stomping out of Jack's office. He was obviously not in a good mood and Sam already suspected she knew why. She couldn't help herself. She had to see if Jack was okay. She knew how hard he took cases like these. She was sure he hadn't slept in days, the bags under his eyes and the stubble on his chin testament to that. She couldn't help herself. Once she was sure Olzcyk was gone, she headed for Jack's office.

She looked through the glass door as she prepared to knock. Jack was sitting behind his desk, holding his head in his hands, looking exhausted and discouraged. As soon as she knocked, he straightened up and waved her in.

"Hey," she said familiarly as she entered.

"Hey yourself," Jack replied. "Anything?"

Sam shook her head.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, taking the seat in front of him. "It's just…well…I saw Olzcyk leaving."

"Oh, he looked that mad, eh?" Jack asked with a grin.

"You could say that," Sam replied, returning his smile.

"Well, I kinda ticked him off with that unauthorised search of Bartlett's place," Jack admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't doubt it," Sam replied. She looked at Jack with concern etched across her face. "Jack, you really need to get some sleep. Why don't you go home for a few hours, get some rest, maybe a shower? You can't think straight when you're exhausted. I'll call you if we get anything," Sam promised.

Jack looked at her, eyebrows raised at her audacity but touched by her concern. He realised that he must look pretty shocking for Sam to come in to his office and say it. If he were being honest, he would have admitted how tired he actually felt. His head was pounding and even his vision was starting to blur every now and again.

"Okay, I'll grab a few hours here on the couch," Jack said relenting somewhat.

"Fine, but I'll be standing at the door, making sure that no one disturbs you," Sam said seriously, knowing how much of an achievement it was just to get him to rest.

Jack laughed as he stood up and removed his suit jacket. He loosened his tie and opened up the top two buttons of his shirt, all the while trudging to the sofa. He emitted a worn out groan as he collapsed onto the sofa. He fluffed one pillow before swinging his legs up onto the leather couch.

"Good, now close your eyes and sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours," Sam promised as she closed the blinds around the office before leaving.

Jack lay on his back, one hand behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The events of the last 72 hours were milling around his head. Soon his body's primitive need for sleep took over and before long he was sound asleep.

**_TBC_**

**_A/N - It gets more interesting, I promise. Reviews always appreciated!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - this one is Kimberleah's bonus birthday chapter!**

Chapter 2

Several hours later, Jack woke to the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He opened his bleary eyes and saw Samantha tip-toeing away from him.

"Hey," he said, his voice huskier than usual.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Sam apologised.

"No, it's fine. What time is it?" Jack enquired.

"It's 4.45am. I thought you might be hungry."

Jack thanked her. He sat up and rubbed his face and eyes roughly with the palms of his hands in an effort to help him wake fully.

"Anything new?" he asked hopefully.

"Nothing. We've been tracking down Bartlett's history. There's nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe we're leaning in the wrong direction," Sam dared suggest.

"I can't explain it, Sam, but I just know he's involved."

"Okay, but what if you're wrong?" Sam asked.

Jack glared at her before hanging his head. What if he was wrong? What if he'd wasted all this time following a lead that was going nowhere? What if in that time, whoever had taken Amy had gotten away with her? He began to doubt himself.

"What else do we have to go on?" he asked Sam.

"Danny and Martin have been trawling through traffic camera footage from intersections near the Nolan home, car by car, all night. Viv and Elena went home a few hours ago to get some sleep. They'll be back in an hour. I've been checking the Mom and Dad's background, extended family, jobs-you name it. So far, it's a blank," Samantha informed him.

"Okay, we'll keep at it. When Elena and Viv get back, you go home and rest. You've been up all night," Jack said.

"I'm okay," Sam insisted.

"That's an order," Jack said, playing the superior officer card.

"Okay, whatever. Enjoy breakfast," Sam said, referring to the sticky-looking Danish she had left beside his coffee.

Sam left and Jack took the opportunity to change his shirt. He kept a couple of spares in his filing cabinet. He sniffed under his arms and cringed. He really could do with a shower but it would have to wait. He hadn't time to go home. He tried to disguise the odour with a generous spray of deodorant before putting on the fresh shirt. He ate the Danish and drank the coffee at his desk. He flicked through the files that Sam had left there hoping to find something, anything.

Viv and Elena arrived back to the office at 6am. Sam followed her orders and went home after that. Danny and Martin were out checking a lead that they had from the traffic camera footage. They had seen a red sedan at an intersection with what looked like a dark-haired child appearing very upset in the back seat. They traced the licence plate to an address in Brooklyn. However, it just turned out to be a child having a major tantrum while her Dad took her home from the playground. Another dead end!

Early that afternoon, Elena stuck her head through the door of Jack's office to tell him that Matthew and Liz Nolan were outside, asking to speak to him. Jack's heart sank, knowing that he had no good news for the distraught parents. He asked Elena to show them in.

As he waited for them to arrive, he stood and walked to the door. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself. Meeting the relatives was always tough but so much worse when a child was missing. As Elena showed them in, they exchanged pleasantries and handshakes. Jack guided them to the chairs in front of his desk.

"Agent Malone, we need to know what's happening with the investigation," Matthew Nolan asked.

"Yes, have you any news?" his wife asked eagerly.

Jack looked into the faces of the two people sitting in front of him. He could only imagine their pain and their fear. It was so hard for him, knowing that their investigation was hitting brick wall after brick wall of dead ends. How could he tell them this? He shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry. We've been following every lead and morsel of information that has come our way. So far, they've been unproductive," Jack began.

"Are you saying you've got nothing?" Matthew asked, his voice rising slightly.

"I'm saying that we have some leads that we are following at the moment. We have yet to see where they take us," Jack told him.

"Well what are you doing sitting here? Why aren't you out there looking for my little girl?" Liz Nolan snapped.

The mother's frustration was getting the best of her. She began to cry. Jack looked on awkwardly as Matthew Nolan put his arms around his devastated wife. Matthew locked eyes with Jack, who struggled to maintain eye contact.

"You think she's dead, don't you?" he said to Jack, with a hint of venom in his words.

"No! No, I don't. But I do think our window of opportunity is closing," Jack replied honestly.

He saw Matthew Nolan's outer façade falter as he tried to keep it together.

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to bring your daughter home," Jack said with commitment. What else could he say?

Once the meeting with the Nolans had finished, Jack went out to the bullpen to check how his team were getting on. The white board was full of pictures of potential suspects and time lines. They sat around the meeting table and tried to put every bit of information they had extrapolated together. It was early evening by the time they finished. Again they were swamped with information and tips but had nothing solid to go on. Jack's frustration was increasing by the minute. Samantha arrived back after having slept and showered. She looked refreshed, the antithesis of Jack. Jack took some more files and returned to his office. He could almost feel this little girl's life slipping through his hands.

He looked at the bundle of files but his eyes were drawn to just one-Paul Barrett's. He opened it and stared at the photo clipped to the front cover. Jack usually had no problem relying on his instincts. They had gotten him out of trouble on more than one occasion in the past. He remembered Olzcyk's warning and then thought of Amy.

After all it had been four long days and nothing! He stared, trance-like at the file photo of Amy Nolan, her beautiful smile beaming from the page. He looked out at his exhausted team, who he knew would be more than willing to risk their careers for him, but he had no intention of letting them. He made his mind up that he would act on his suspicions. In his mind, the risk to his career was worth it if his actions led him to the girl. He left the office without saying a word to the team. He checked a car out from the motor pool and drove to Paul Bartlett's neighbourhood.

By then it was starting to get dark. There was a light visible in the living room of the house. Jack parked up the street and on the other side of the road, deliberately trying not to attract attention to his presence. He observed from a distance. Amy Nolan was not at Bartlett's house, he knew that, but Jack still believed that this guy knew where she was and maybe he would lead him to her. He had made up his mind to watch this guy. It was going to be a long night.

Back at the office, Viv went to Jack's office to get him to sign off on the overtime. She was surprised when he wasn't there. She returned to the bullpen and asked around if anyone knew where Jack was. They all responded similarly, thinking Jack was in his office. They waited a short while, expecting him to return but when there was no sign of him, Viv decided to call his cell.

"Hi, Jack," Viv said when he answered. "Where are you?"

"Oh, hi, Viv! I'm, eh, gone home for a while. I really needed a shower," Jack lied, not wanting her to know his true location.

"Right," Viv replied a little suspiciously. It was an unusual thing for Jack to do in the middle of an active investigation.

"I'll be back in a while. What is it?" Jack asked.

"I just need you to sign off on something. It can wait. I'll see you when you get back," Viv said.

"Okay, see you then," Jack said before hanging up.

He sat there, engine off, watching the house up the street. It had started to rain and he silently cursed, as it obscured his visibility. He was starting to feel the chill of the autumn evening and folded his arms tightly around his chest. He resisted the urge to turn on the engine and the car heater for fear that it would attract attention. He sat there for over an hour before the light in the living room went out. It looked like Bartlett was going somewhere. He emerged from the house, wearing a rain jacket and got into his car. The car reversed out of the driveway and headed south. Jack started up his car and waited until there was a little distance between him and Bartlett. Jack was extra careful to stay well back so as not to attract suspicion. He maintained a safe distance, all the while not letting Bartlett's car out of his sight.

It was dark now but luckily traffic was light. Jack followed Bartlett's car until he parked on the street in a dodgy part of the South Bronx. Jack drove on past and pulled in a bit further up the road. He got out of the car, pulled the collar up on his jacket and walked in the rain back towards where Bartlett had parked his car. He looked around, trying to see where Bartlett had gone. He caught sight of him as he rounded a corner down an alley. Jack quickened his pace and until reached the corner. He peered around it in time to see Bartlett enter a dilapidated building through a side door in the dark alley.

Bartlett's actions were definitely suspicious. Jack couldn't help himself. He had to follow him. As he walked down the alley, his cell phone rang again. Damn it! It was Samantha. He had to answer it.

"Hey, Sam," Jack said, speaking low as he answered.

"Jack, where are you? Are you all right?" Sam asked, sensing something was up from his tone.

"I'm fine. I've been following Bartlett," Jack told her.

"You're what? Are you crazy? Olzcyk will kill you" Sam said, astonished by his actions.

"I'm in the South Bronx," he said, ignoring her comments and giving her the address. "It's an abandoned building. He's gone inside."

"Jack, don't go in there without back-up," Sam said crossly.

"No, Sam. Don't say anything to anyone just yet. You're right, if Olzcyk gets wind of this, he'll kick me off the case for sure. Don't worry. I'll call in back-up if I need it. I'm only checking this out. It'll be fine," Jack insisted.

"Jack!" Sam said, her worry evident.

Much to her annoyance, Jack hung up the phone. Sam didn't know what to do. She wanted to tell someone but didn't want to land Jack in it. She also wanted to be sure that Jack wasn't walking into a whole lot of trouble, so she decided to back him up herself. She told Viv that she had to pop out for a half hour but didn't elaborate as to why. She took a car and drove to the address Jack had given her.

Meanwhile, Jack continued down the alley and stopped outside the metal door. He tried the handle and it opened. He felt for his weapon and drew it before going any further. The door creaked slightly as he pulled it open. There was no light as he entered the building, so he took out his penlight and shone it around. There was a stairs to his left, a door straight ahead and a corridor to his right. He wasn't sure which direction to take. He shone the light to the floor and noticed that the floor to the right was dusty and dirty while there appeared to be little or no dust on the stairs. So he chose to climb the stairs. He did so silently, keeping the light shining at his feet, hoping not to draw any attention to his presence. He crept up to the first floor. He couldn't be sure which floor Bartlett had gone to, so he knew he would have to check them all.

Carefully, he entered the second floor. There was no apparent light, with the exception of the few stray beams of moonlight that peeked through the window at the end of the hall. The building looked like it had once been an office block. Many of the doors had glass panels and painted names which had long since worn away. He checked each room as he passed it. Many still had dust-covered furniture inside. The first floor appeared empty, so he doubled back to the stairwell and began to climb to the second floor.

As he opened the door to the third floor, he stopped in his tracks. He thought he heard something. He strained to hear the sound again, but there was nothing. Keeping his penlight shining a few feet in front of him, he did what he had done on the previous floor and checked each room one at a time. As he neared the final few rooms on that floor, he came to one room that was locked. He tried the handle again but it wouldn't budge. He put his ear to the door, listening for any sound. He was convinced he could hear movement. Without thinking, he stood back and put all his strength into one solid kick, which successfully broke the lock.

As the door flung open, Jack trained his weapon and penlight around the room. Jack was stunned by what he found. There was a terrified little African-American boy, had to be no more than seven or eight years old, sitting in the corner of the room. There was a cot bed, a bucket, an empty plate and a half full bottle of water. He hadn't been expecting that. A realisation suddenly hit him that this case had to be linked to a much bigger abduction ring. He also recognized that the likelihood of Bartlett operating this alone was slim. He shuddered to think about the implications and the potential danger that both he and the boy were now in.

He signalled for the boy to be quiet. He crouched down and slowly approached the child.

"Sshh!" he whispered. "It's going to be all right. I'm a police officer. I'm going to take you out of here," he said, reaching his hand out.

The little boy took hold of his hand and slowly stood up. Jack rooted around in his pocket and found his cell phone. He dialled Samantha's number. She answered as he walked towards the door.

"Sam, it's me. I'm not sure what I've walked into, but it's bigger than just Bartlett," he whispered as he reached the door. He was about to tell her to send back-up when out of nowhere something smashed him in the face, causing him to drop the phone and sending him sprawling back onto the floor of the room.

On the other end of the line, Samantha heard the commotion and knew immediately that Jack was in trouble.

"Jack!" she yelled helplessly from the other end of the line.

She heard the little boy screaming and another voice yelling at him to shut up, then heavy footsteps before the call was lost. Sam stepped on the gas, knowing that she was already close to the address that Jack had given her. She prayed that she wouldn't be too late. She was so caught up in helping Jack that she couldn't think straight and neglected to carry out one of the most basic protocols and request back-up. She reached the address after 5 five minutes, jumped out of her car and ran down the alley, which Jack had described to her. She found the doorway, opened it cautiously and made her way inside.

**_A/N - Hope you like it so far. Updates might be slow as its still a work in progress. _**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack woke and found himself lying on the dusty floor of a large, open room and immediately sensed that he wasn't alone. He could hear voices whispering somewhere to his right. He was positioned facing the wall, so tried to raise his head to look around and immediately regretted it. He was pretty sure from the pain in his head and the facial swelling that his nose was broken, possibly his cheek as well. He licked his upper lip, tasting the saltiness of his own blood. He made an attempt to bring his hand up to do a cursory examination of his face and then realised that his hands were tied behind his back. He was unable to contain the groan that escaped his body as the pain intensified. Unfortunately, the sound alerted his captors to his return to consciousness.

The whispering stopped and he heard footsteps approach him. Then someone grabbed him by his shoulder and rolled him roughly onto his back. He ended up lying uncomfortably on his bound hands, staring up helplessly at three men and one woman, Bartlett's being the only face he recognised.

"You do realise that your being here is a major problem, Agent Malone," Bartlett said callously. "You've already seen too much. It's a pity really, because murder wasn't part of our mission statement, so to speak, but hey, needs must and all that."

Jack remained silent, partly because he didn't know what to say and partly because of the blood flowing down his throat, making it difficult to breath. He coughed, trying to clear his airway. This resulted in a spray of blood landing on Bartlett's trouser leg. He looked down at Jack with disgust and in temper, kicked him in the side. Jack yelped in pain. He heard a snigger from one of the others who stood in the background. Bartlett shoved Jack with his foot and rolled him back onto his side.

"Just get it over with," an unidentified voice said heartlessly.

"Fine, shoot him," the woman ordered.

"No, not a good idea," Bartlett replied sensibly. "A shot coming from this building might be reported and we could have cops snooping around. Give him what you've been giving the kids. Only up the dose. Enough of the stuff is fatal, right?"

"Absolutely, it'll take a minute, though. You know this is all your fault, Paul," she said crossly.

"How was I supposed to know he was following me? At least he was alone. Go ahead with the plan. Get the van ready," Bartlett ordered one of the other guys. "Be ready in an hour. Then we'll be on schedule to make our delivery," Bartlett told them.

Meanwhile unknown to them, two floors below, another FBI agent had entered the premises. Samantha Spade nervously searched the ground floor. It was dark and creepy and her nerves were firing. Where the hell was Jack? She had tried his cell phone a few times, but it wasn't even ringing. As she grew more uncomfortable in the abandoned building, she decided to call Martin. He would help her find him and be discreet. She was still worrying about keeping Jack out of trouble. She tried Martin's cell phone, but it went straight to voice mail. She left a message asking him to call her urgently when he got the message. She continued on in her search.

When her search of the first floor turned up nothing, she decided to take the stairs to the second floor. Using her penlight for guidance, she did exactly what Jack had done and investigated the second floor, room by room. As she doubled back along the hallway, she failed to notice the shadowy figure lurking in a doorway of a room that she had earlier checked. As she passed, he stepped out behind her and put his arm tightly around her neck, wrestling her firearm from her hand. She fought back, kicking and biting, but he had a secure hold on her neck and as he increased the applied pressure and cut off her air supply, she started to black out. 'Sorry Jack' was all she could think of before succumbing to the darkness.

Will Devlin lugged her dead weight up to the third floor and dragged her roughly into the room where they were holding Jack.

"Jesus Christ, Paul, I just found another one," he yelled, totally unimpressed by the unwanted visitors.

"Are you kidding me?" Bartlett asked, turning to see the blonde-haired agent being dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Oh, nice! I do remember her," Bartlett said sleazily, recalling Samantha interviewing him. "If only she was younger, pity. Kill her too."

As soon as Jack heard him mention "her," he immediately thought of Sam. He twisted awkwardly onto his back and saw the locks of blonde hair trailing across the floorboards as Will dragged Samantha to the other side of the room.

"Sam," he said weakly. "Leave her alone," he shouted, mustering as much energy as he could.

Despite his efforts, his shout came out sounding more like a plea than the intended demand. His captors turned and looked in his direction momentarily before laughing at his predicament. He was helpless, bound and pathetic. The woman, Marian Weiss, then spoke up.

"Hold on, Paul. Don't be rash. We might actually be able to profit from this one. She's pretty, slender and blonde – there's a market for her type out there," she informed him. "Let me look into it."

Bartlett considered what she said.

"Hmm, maybe? Will, tie her up for now and get rid of him," he said sharply. "Tony, come with me. Time to get our cargo ready to travel."

It didn't take long for Samantha to regain her senses. She was confused and disorientated when she woke. Finding one hand was cuffed to a heating pipe, it didn't take long to remember what had happened. She looked around and could see a man and woman talking in the far corner. They had a small metal case and were taking something from it. She looked across to the other side of the room and saw someone lying on their back, their face blood-stained and bruised. She instantly recognised the black suit. It was Jack. Despite their predicament, she felt a surge of relief that he was alive. She desperately wanted to call his name to see if he was okay, but she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she was conscious.

Then she watched as the woman held up a needle and drew some liquid from a vial into a syringe. She filled the syringe to capacity and then turned and walked over towards Jack. As she appeared in Jack's peripheral vision, his breathing started to quicken as fear set in. She knelt beside him and got Will to hold him on his side again and roll up his sleeve. He did so, putting his knee at Jack's back to stop him rolling back and struggling.

"No, please… don't do this," Jack pleaded desperately.

His pleas fell on deaf ears. The woman tied an elastic band around his arm. She waited a few seconds before tapping the inside of his elbow to find a vein.

"Don't worry, just a sting. It'll be like going to sleep," she said, trying to sound humane.

"Please, you don't have to do this," Jack begged frantically.

He tried to struggle, but Will was holding him firmly. He felt the needle pierce his skin. He heard Samantha call his name from across the room. A tear escaped down his cheek as he felt the warm liquid enter his vein. He would never get to tell her how he felt. This was it. It felt like fire as it travelled up his arm. His mind turned to his daughters and he felt awful that they would lose their dad this way. With each heartbeat, the chemicals coursed through his body. It wasn't long before the effects of the massive dose started to take hold. His breathing slowed dramatically and no matter how hard he tried to fight the effects, it was useless. He resigned himself to the inevitable. His eyes closed involuntarily and he surrendered, painlessly to the darkness.

Samantha was distraught when she realised what they were doing to Jack. She screamed at the top of her voice at them, before resorting to begging and pleading for his life.

"Nooo! Please stop," she implored. "Jack! Don't…..please!" she cried helplessly.

As she cried and pleaded, she saw the pair get back to their feet and look down on the now motionless body of their victim.

"It won't take long," the woman said to her companion. Then she turned and looked over at Samantha, who was pulling against her restraints, trying to get to her colleague.

"Shut up, bitch!" Marian ordered. "Shut up or I'll shut you up!"

Samantha sobbed as she looked on helplessly as the life-force ebbed from Jack. She couldn't tell for sure, but she was convinced he was dead. She knelt and cried unashamedly, feeling totally useless and heartbroken.

Marian and Will returned to the table where the case of pharmaceuticals lay open. They fumbled around in the case once more before taking out another syringe. This time they came towards Samantha. Her eyes widened with fear when she realised what they were doing.

"No, please ... don't," she pleaded once more, presuming they were now coming to kill her.

"Don't worry, darling. This is just to take the edge off. It will help you relax," Will said to her as he grabbed her arm. Samantha spit on him and got a sharp slap in the face for her troubles.

Marian rolled Sam's sleeve up and expertly administered the sedative. Sam was terrified, wondering what would become of her. She realised that no one knew where she was. She cursed her stupidity. She had lied to Viv as she left the office looking for Jack. Now Jack was dead or dying and she was at the mercy of these people. She had really screwed up. She began to feel drowsy as the sedative started to kick in. God help me, she prayed as she flopped back powerless and watched the room distort and slowly surrendered to the effects of the drug.

**_A/N - Wicked cliffie or cruel teasing? Sometimes I can't help myself. Evil grin _;-)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back at FBI headquarters, Vivian was on the phone trying to get hold of Jack. She was puzzled when she kept getting a 'customer cannot be reached' message. She asked Danny and Martin if either of them had heard from Jack at all that evening. Neither of them had. When Martin checked his cell phone, he noticed that he had a missed call from Samantha. He listened to the message, thinking it was very odd. He immediately tried to call her back and was surprised to get no reply. He decided to wait a while and try again.

Viv tried Jack's home phone and even sent an agent to check his house, but he wasn't there. Then she tried Samantha's cell phone. Where was she? She had said that she would only be a half hour. It had been almost an hour now and she still wasn't back. Then Viv started to think the worst of both Sam and Jack. How convenient that they both happened to be unreachable at the same time! She had suspected that they were back on, ever since Jack split with Anne. No – they wouldn't, she thought, not at such a vital stage in their case. Surely they could control their urges until the case was closed. She tried Sam's phone and left several messages, each one sounding more cantankerous than the last.

After dozens of calls, Viv was worried. She checked with the motor pool and got the licence plate details of the car Jack had taken out. She discussed her fears with the remaining team members before deciding to put out an APB on his car. Something wasn't right. Jack wouldn't just walk away from a case, not unless he was in trouble.

Back in the South Bronx, a white minivan pulled up in the alley at the door of the abandoned building. The side door of the van was opened and Tony, the driver, made a quick call. He called Bartlett, who was inside in a room where three listless children lay, doped up and compliant. Bartlett took the first child and carried him down the two flights of stairs and handed him to Tony. Tony put the boy into the van and clicked the bracelet of a pair of cuffs around his ankle, securing him to a customized hook in the floor of the van. Bartlett went back inside and returned with a girl and then a second girl. They were all secured in the back of the van in the same fashion as the young boy.

Upstairs, Marian and Will were packing up. As they prepared to leave, Will uncuffed Samantha. By now she was heavily under the influence of whatever barbiturate they had given her and was submissive to their demands. She was unsteady on her feet and Will manhandled her out of the room and down the stairs. Marian was last to leave, casting a quick eye on Jack's body as she left. There was no sign of life and she was satisfied that he was gone.

Sam was bundled into the back of the van with the children. Her mind was clouded. It was like she was watching what was happening through someone else's eyes. She couldn't think straight. She was cuffed by her wrist to another hook inside the van. While the children lay, she sat with her head against the side of the van. Will eventually climbed in and then the sliding door was closed. The van started and pulled away slowly from the building. As the van emerged onto the road, Bartlett and Marian followed in his car. They drove in procession, obeying all speed limits and traffic signals and making sure not to draw attention to themselves. They were scheduled to meet prospective buyers in Wilmington later that night and the next morning. Despite the few unexpected hiccups, everything was still on schedule.

Some time later, unknown to them, a black and white patrol car passed the building they had just vacated. As they drove by, one officer noticed Jack's sedan parked on the street. It looked out of place and when he made enquiries about the licence plate with his dispatcher, he was alerted to the APB. He got out and checked the car before confirming to his dispatcher that it was in fact the same car. The dispatcher immediately alerted the FBI. Vivian was the first to receive the message. Immediately, she told Martin and asked him to accompany her to the street where Jack's car had been discovered. It took a little over half an hour, but they got there as quickly as they could.

When they got there, the car was empty and there was no sign of Jack. They decided that they needed to check the area. Some police officers were sent to interview the owner of a 7-Eleven shop on the opposite corner. Others canvassed the patrons of a nearby bar. Martin and Viv and a handful of other officers went to search the empty building down the street. Martin and a few officers took the first floor, Viv and another officer took the second floor. As Martin and his team finished their search of the first floor, they continued on up to the third floor. They cleared the floor, room by room. Then Martin noticed the obvious signs that one of the doors had been recently kicked in. Outside the door was a recent bloodstain, still moist. He checked the room. In it were a cot bed, a bucket, a plate and bottle of water. He couldn't have known that only ninety minutes earlier, Jack had discovered a frightened little boy in that same room.

He and the officers continued down the hall until they came to a door that was slightly ajar. He opened it slowly and carefully as he had with all the others, shining the torchlight around it. Then he saw a sight that caused him to falter. There was someone lying by the wall to his right, wearing a black suit. Martin feared the worst as he forced his legs to take him over to the inanimate figure. He looked down at the bloodied face and the handcuffed limbs.

"Oh, God, Jack," he said horrified.

He dropped to his knees beside Jack and felt his neck for a pulse. He couldn't feel one. He put his cheek to Jack's mouth, hoping to feel a warm breath, anything that would signal life. His chest didn't appear to be rising. He automatically reached for his radio and called for the EMTs. Seeing Jack in such a state, he felt he had to do something to help, so in his emotional state, he felt it might help to undo the handcuffs. He opened them and took Jack's hands from under his body. As the police officer looked on helplessly, Martin manoeuvred himself so that he was sitting with his back against the wall. Tears were already flowing down his cheeks. He carefully raised Jack's head and placed it tenderly on his lap. As far as he could tell, his boss was dead.

"I'm sorry, Jack," he sobbed, looking down at his mentor's battered face as he waited for help to arrive.

The police officer heard movement in the hallway outside and peered outside. He saw the EMTs at the far end and directed them to where Jack lay. As they entered, Martin looked up with his tear-filled eyes.

"You're too late," he said mournfully.

"Just let us check him," one of the medics said, reaching for his stethoscope.

At this point, having heard the radio call for the medics, Vivian came running into the room. She saw Martin sitting piteously on the floor, with bloodshot eyes, clinging to Jack and the paramedic leaning over them. Her heart sank, fearing the worst. The medic listened to Jack's chest. He looked puzzled and reached his fingertips to his carotid pulse. He placed the stethoscope on his chest again.

"There!" he said, sounding just as surprised as everyone else in the room. "Oxygen, now!" he said to his colleague who hurried over to him with the medical bag.

"Lie him flat," he said to Martin.

"What? He's alive?" Martin asked in disbelief, placing Jack's head on the ground and getting out of the way.

"Barely," he replied. The two paramedics got to work right away and did their best to try and stabilise him. Observing his rolled up sleeve and the tiny drop of blood on his inner arm, they made a presumption. "We need to get him to the ER now. It looks like he's overdosed."

Martin stood back, stunned. They knew that this was no accident. He and Viv watched as one of the paramedics administered Narcan. Almost immediately, Jack took a deep, shuddering breath as the pharmaceutical did its job and blocked the opiate receptors in Jack's body. His respiration bounced back and he woke with a start. His eyes were wild and confused. He was very agitated and had no idea where he was or what was going on. The paramedics, with Martin's help, managed to pacify him enough to allow them to treat him.

The paramedics wasted no time in loading Jack onto the gurney. Martin told Vivian that he was going to go to the hospital with him. Viv asked him to call her and let her know how he was. She watched as the paramedics hurried down the corridor wheeling her injured colleague, then she and the other officers checked the remaining rooms on the floor. What they found was very disturbing. Two rooms were set up like mini prison cells. Something improper was unquestionably going on here and Jack had obviously interrupted it. As Viv checked the other rooms, a police officer carried out a preliminary examination of the scene where they had found Jack. As the beam from his torch lit the far wall, he noticed something wedged behind a heating pipe. As he got closer, he realised that it was someone's ID. He opened the leather wallet and couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was an ID and shield belonging to an FBI Special Agent, Samantha Spade.

The officer realised the implication of his discovery and ran to find Agent Johnson. Vivian was stunned when he showed her the ID.

"Where did you find this?" she asked, unable to mask her concern.

"In the same room where Agent Malone was found," the officer replied.

Vivian paused, considering hard what could have happened. Sam must have come here with Jack, but then she recalled that she had left the office alone.

"Okay, search the building from top to bottom. We have a missing agent and get forensics down here now," she said with authority.

She surveyed the room where she stood and a feeling of nausea descended on her as she realised that if Sam was missing and if she had been drugged like Jack, it was likely that they were looking for a body. She had to call Martin.

_**A/N – you didn't really think that I'd kill off Jack**__**, now did you?**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - thanks for all your comments. Glad you're enjoying it. Here's another chapter to keep you going!**

**Chapter 5**

Martin was sitting nervously in the back of the ambulance as it sped towards the hospital. Jack was drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the journey. Occasionally he mumbled incoherent words that made no sense to Martin. He held Jack's hand the whole time in an attempt to comfort him and let him know that he was there. The paramedic was still concerned about Jack's blood pressure and cardiac output. Martin had no doubt that Jack was seriously ill and feared the likely outcome. As he sat there worrying, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He grabbed it quickly and answered.

"Yeah, Fitzgerald."

"Martin, is Jack conscious yet?" Vivian asked eagerly.

"He's in and out," Martin told her.

"Samantha's missing, Martin," she informed him bluntly.

"What? I don't understand," Martin replied completely confused.

"We found her ID in the same building where we found Jack. It looks like she was here but there's no sign of her now," Viv explained. "As soon as you can, you need to talk to Jack. Hopefully he can tell you what happened here."

"Okay," Martin replied. He hung up and then remembered the strange message that Sam had left on his voice mail. He should have kept trying to reach her. She was in trouble and had reached out to him and he had let her down.

He couldn't believe this was happening. Jack was so ill and he was the only link they had to what could have happened to Sam. How could this have happened? Martin was quickly brought back to the present when the ambulance screeched to a halt outside the ER. The door burst open and a group of nurses and doctors stood waiting as Jack was unloaded. As soon as the gurney wheels hit the ground, they whisked him in through the sliding doors and into a Trauma Room. Martin tried to follow but was halted as he reached the Trauma Room.

"I need to be in there with him," he protested. "I need to talk to him."

"I'm sorry but he's in no state to talk to anyone at the moment," a doctor said as he turned and tried to close the door behind him.

"It's important. Another agent's life depends on it," Martin insisted, sticking his hand on the door and preventing it from closing.

"Right now, this agent's life is all I care about. Stand back and let me treat him," the doctor said adamantly.

Martin peered through the narrow opening in the door at Jack, who was being stripped and attached to monitors. He could see that there was no way Jack could tell him anything at the moment. Seeing sense, he released his grip on the door and stepped back. It was out of his hands. Hating the fact that Samantha's fate was unknown and that he was unable to do anything to help her, he walked away and took a seat in the waiting area. As he gathered his thoughts, he remembered to call Danny and Elena and fill them in on what had happened.

The vibrations from the moving van drilled into Samantha's skull as it took her, God knows where. She started to wake but her senses were impaired. The narcotic was doing what was intended. She opened her bleary eyes and tried to focus. She had no idea where she was. She was slouched on the floor of the van, one arm raised and secured to the purpose-built hook. Her arm was cramped and she sat up so that she might get some relief. She saw Will sitting across from her, dozing. He was quite handsome and she wondered who he was. She was surprised when she saw a child curled up asleep on the floor close to her. She blinked several times, trying to clear her vision. Then as she looked around she saw the other two, also sleeping.

_What? Children…..where am I? What is this? I need to be somewhere….where I can't remember? It's important. Hey, my hands cuffed….strange…..did I do that? Where are my keys? I had them….they're here somewhere. _

Sam searched her jacket pocket for the keys to her cuffs. She cursed when she couldn't find them. Her mind was not registering the seriousness of her predicament at all. Then she started to laugh for no apparent reason. Her guffaw drew Tony's attention from the driver's seat and woke Will.

"You okay back there, sweetheart?" Tony asked with a hint of sleaze.

"I seem to have lost my keys," Sam replied, still giggling.

"Really? Don't worry, I'll take you to someone who can help you find them," he told her.

"You will? That's so kind of you," Sam said, looking towards the front of the van. "Ooo… look at all the lights, they're pretty," Sam said, like an innocent child.

She couldn't see the disturbing grin of Tony's perverted pleasure at her predicament as he continued along the highway. All that held her attention was the flashing light show from the night as seen through the windshield. Will smiled as she stared, eyes transfixed, like a kid in a candy store.

Danny and Elena were gob-smacked when they got the call from Martin. They wanted to be at the hospital for Jack, but Martin explained that their priority had to be finding Samantha. They needed to co-ordinate the search and compile any evidence that came to light from the scene. Danny and Elena agreed and stayed in the office. Danny contacted Vivian directly to get an update and see what she wanted them to do. By then, police officers had located Samantha's car parked nearby. Forensics teams were already examining it, as well as the building where Jack had been found.

There were no security cameras operational in the alley and very little on the street either. Viv asked Danny to check any traffic cameras in the vicinity, knowing it was a long shot, but desperate enough to try anything. Jack was their best hope, their only lead. She badly needed him to wake up.

Meanwhile, Martin sat anxiously outside the Trauma Room, waiting, worrying and willing his friend to be strong. He knew what was at stake. Jack had to know what had happened to Samantha. He was there, she was there. Surely he could help. Martin got to his feet and paced, unable to contain his pent-up nervous energy. He was oblivious to the eyes of the other patients and waiting relatives that followed him as they waited in the same area.

He paced back and forth past the door of the Trauma Room. He turned hopefully anytime anyone exited or entered the room, straining to see through the open door. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor re-emerged and approached the fretting agent.

"How is he?" Martin asked immediately.

"As well as can be expected. He's conscious but agitated and confused. His blood test came back positive for Propofol, which is commonly used in anaesthesia. The Narcan has brought his respiration back up and he's a little more comfortable. X-rays confirm that his nose is broken so that's been set. He has some other facial bruises and contusions. He'll need monitoring for the next 24 hours just in case there are any complications from the Propofol, but I expect him to make a full recovery," the doctor explained.

"That's great, Doctor. Can I see him?" Martin asked.

"Sure. We'll be moving him to a room in a while, but you can sit with him until then. Keep in mind, though, that he's very groggy and tired," the doctor reminded him.

"Okay, thank you, Doctor," Martin said appreciatively.

He followed the doctor into the Trauma Room. It was a sterile, grey, soulless room occupied by a number of medical personnel and their patent. Jack lay on his side, a bowl in front of him in anticipation of him throwing up. He took deep breaths as he tried to quell the nausea that had taken hold, a side effect of the narcotics. His attention was drawn to the movement as Martin and the doctor entered the room, but only for a fleeting moment. Then his stare returned to the floor. It was the only thing that didn't seem to be moving. The fact that Martin was among those who entered didn't even register with him.

Martin had an idea of what to expect, having seen Jack in the ambulance. The blood had been washed from his face and a nasal splint covered the bridge of his nose, the tape from which helped conceal the associated black eyes. Martin paused on entry into the room, taking a moment to appreciate just how lucky Jack was that they found him when they did. He recoiled as Jack dry-retched into the bowl. A nurse rushed to his side and held it for him but there was nothing coming. She helped him lie back down and mopped his sweat-drenched brow with a damp cotton cloth. Jack lay back, panting.

"Jack," Martin said, approaching him with hesitation.

Jack looked up at him, bleary eyed. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut for a few seconds and then opened them again, hoping it would clear his head.

"Martin?" he replied eventually.

"Hey, man, you had us worried," Martin said, putting his hand on Jack's shoulder with affection.

"Yeah?" was the only response Jack could manage.

"Do you remember anything that happened?" Martin asked, praying he would say yes.

Jack just looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face.

"I'm in hospital," Jack stated, surprise evident in his tone as he only then realised where he was.

"Yeah, Jack, but you're going to be fine," Martin told him.

Jack raised his head and tried to visually check his body to assess the damage.

"Was I shot?" he asked, unsure of why he was there.

"No, you weren't shot," Martin replied. "Someone tried to kill you with an overdose."

"What?" Jack said, slurring his words slightly and still not comprehending fully what was being said to him. Then he sat up suddenly and retched again.

Martin's heart sank. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with Jack the way he was. He walked away from Jack and spoke to the doctor again.

"How long will he be like this?" Martin asked.

"It affects everyone differently. Usually the effects wear off after twelve hours," the doctor informed him.

"Twelve hours?" Martin said unimpressed. "That's too long. He needs to remember now."

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that. Propofol is often called 'Milk of Amnesia' in medical circles because of its effect on memory. It may not come back at all," the doctor responded. Martin didn't like what he was hearing.

"I need to make a call," Martin said, abruptly taking out his cell phone.

"You'll have to take it outside then," the doctor said, directing Martin to the door.

As soon as Martin left the room, he called Viv.

"Hi, Martin, what did Jack say?" Viv asked optimistically.

"He's still pretty ill, Viv. He wasn't making much sense," Martin told her.

"Did he say anything about Sam?" she asked.

"You don't understand, Viv, he didn't even know where he was," Martin told her.

"What did the doctor say?" Viv wondered.

"That it could be up to twelve hours before the effects of the drugs wear off completely, but even then he may not remember anything," Martin replied dolefully.

"Well, he had better because without him, Martin, we've got nothing," Viv said with regret.

"What about cameras in the area?" Martin asked reaching.

"You saw the area, Martin. There aren't very many security cameras to check but Danny and Elena are following that up. What's getting me is what Jack was doing here in the first place?" Viv said seriously.

"I've no idea," Martin replied. "It must have had to do with the case but why he went alone, I've no idea. Sam called me after she left the office and asked me to call her back. She said it was urgent, but when I called back, there was no answer."

"Maybe she thought Jack was in trouble," Viv said, starting to realise why Jack kept them out of the loop. "He was so set on Bartlett. I bet he couldn't let it go."

"Bartlett?" Martin repeated.

"I'm going to swing by his place and see if he's home," Viv said. "I'm starting to think that maybe Jack was right all along."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Martin asked.

"No, it's fine. I'll get Danny to meet me there. You stay with Jack. The minute he's able, you need to see what he remembers, okay?"

"Absolutely," Martin replied.

A tiny sob escaped from one of the three children that were with Samantha in the back of the van. The muffled sound snapped Samantha out of her trance-like state. She sat up and peered through the darkness to see where the sound came from. With her head to one side, she tried to think why there were kids with her. Nothing was making sense to her at the moment but despite her sedated state, instinct told her to stay quiet and not draw attention to the fact that one of the children was awake. She rubbed her forehead, trying to clear the fog that shrouded her mind. Something was wrong. This didn't feel right, but she couldn't grasp why. She tried to keep her eyes from closing but was helpless as her head drooped forward again and she succumbed to her chemically induced sleep.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Vivian arrived at Bartlett's address and waited in her car for Danny to arrive. They conversed briefly before approaching the house. There was no car outside and no light on. It appeared that no one was home. They tried the doorbell nevertheless. They waited for a couple of minutes and rang it again. There was no sign of life.

"What do you think?" Danny asked as they walked away.

"I don't like it. I think Jack discovered something that he shouldn't have and someone tried to silence him. Jack's initial theory could be right. Bartlett may be involved in this after all. Call Elena and get her to put an APB out on Bartlett's car," Viv ordered.

Danny made the call as he drove back to Manhattan. Vivian drove directly to the hospital. Jack was still their best chance of a lead and they really needed one right about now. When she arrived, she was informed that Jack had been moved to a room on the second floor. When she got there, Jack was sleeping while Martin sat waiting by his side.

"Hey," Martin said quietly, getting to his feet as Viv entered.

"How's he doing?" she asked, looking over at Jack's bruised face.

"They gave him a shot to help with the nausea so he was able to sleep," Martin told her.

"Was he able to tell you anything?" Viv asked hopefully.

Martin shook his head. He looked at Vivian, his eyes unable to hide the fear he was containing.

"Do you think she's dead?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" Viv asked, caught off guard. "Eh, no, I don't think so. I hope not."

"Me too," Martin responded pensively.

There was silence for several minutes as both agents sat with Jack and gathered their thoughts. Viv contemplated what had happened to Jack and what could have become of Sam. She had received a call from the police department just before she arrived at the hospital informing her that the Forensic Unit had arrived and were checking Samantha's car. What she couldn't figure out was why Jack had gone there alone and why Samantha had gone after him. From what they now knew, Jack had stumbled on to something more sinister than expected and as a result, someone had tried to make sure that he never told anyone about it. She looked at his injured face and realised just how lucky he was to be alive. He would surely have died had they not found him when they did.

Jack started to stir after an hour or so. Viv and Martin sat up keenly. Slowly, he woke, prying open his sore, swollen eyes. He was grateful that the lights were dim. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of his situation. This isn't home, he thought. Then he heard a voice he recognised.

"Jack? Can you hear me, Jack?" Viv asked softly.

Jack turned his head to the right and saw Martin and Vivian standing expectantly at his side. That can't be good, he surmised. He noticed the IV in his arm and the realisation hit him. Hospital! What happened to me this time, he wondered. He had no recollection of how he got there.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice just a hoarse croak.

"Can you remember anything?" Martin asked desperately.

Jack just shook his head slightly on his pillow.

"We found you in an abandoned building in the Bronx," Viv told him. "Do you know what you were doing there?"

"The Bronx? I can't remember. Why can't I remember?" Jack asked, feeling alarmed, his eyes pleading for answers.

"You've been very ill, Jack. Someone drugged you and almost killed you," Martin told him.

Jack looked shocked and confused. Nothing Martin said to him made any sense.

"Is Samantha here?" Jack asked hopefully.

Viv and Martin exchanged questioning glances. Jack noticed their reluctance to answer.

"Where's Samantha? What's happened?" he asked, sensing their anxiety.

"Jack, Samantha's missing," Viv told him calmly and deliberately. "We're pretty sure she was with you in that building at some stage but she wasn't there when we found you. We haven't been able to reach her."

"I…..I can't remember," Jack said once again, this time sounding panicked.

"It's okay, Jack. It'll come back," Martin said, trying to console him. "The doctor said it would take a while for the effects of the drugs to clear your system. But as soon as you remember anything, you need to let us know."

"We've got to find her," Jack said, sitting up weakly and attempting to throw the sheet back and swing his legs out of the bed. "Come on."

"Come on? You're not going anywhere, Jack. Only hours ago, I thought you were dead, for God sake. I'll stay with here you. Viv, Danny and Elena will work the case. We'll find her, don't you worry," Martin insisted, placing his hand lightly on Jack's chest and preventing him from going anywhere.

Despite his desire to be up and useful, he hadn't the strength to resist. He couldn't believe how weak and unsteady he felt. Even the slightest movement made his stomach lurch. He took deep breaths to quell the queasy feeling.

"Getting worked up won't help the situation, Jack," Viv pointed out. "You need to rest and let your body recover. Finding Sam and Amy Nolan are our priorities now. If you do remember anything, tell Martin. I have to get back to the office. You just get better, okay?"

Jack nodded and tried to hide his frustration. His head felt just as it did the last time he went drinking on an empty stomach. He had the most horrendous hangover the following morning, but at least then he had a fair idea of what had happened. Right now, the last thing he could remember was sitting outside Paul Bartlett's house. That's it!

"Bartlett," he said, just as Viv was about to leave the room.

"What?" Viv asked turning back around.

"Bartlett. I was outside his house. That's the last thing I remember," Jack told her.

"Okay, well we know you drove to Lafayette. Were you following Bartlett?" Viv asked.

Jack creased his forehead and squeezed his eyes closed as if he was trying to force the memories forth. No matter how hard he tried, they just wouldn't come.

"Damn it!" he snapped in annoyance. "It's important, isn't it?"

Viv nodded but knew it wouldn't help to pressure him. If his memory was to return, they had to let it take its natural course.

Samantha was oblivious to the search that was underway for her. She woke as the van in which she was being transported ground to a halt. The driver's door slammed shut as Tony got out. She heard the sound of another vehicle stopping and then voices. She was annoyed that this activity had woken her. She was just so tired, the result of the sedative still in her system. Her mind wasn't clear enough to realise the trouble she was in. The side door of the van slid open. Will stepped out and Tony reached in and uncuffed her wrist.

"Hey, leave me alone," Samantha moaned as he dragged her roughly from the van. She was more concerned with his roughness than the fact that she had been tied up.

"Shut up!" he said, hauling her towards the door of a large boathouse.

Sam tried to walk but her legs just wouldn't work as they should. Tony literally dragged her in and threw her on a cot bed in a small room that had once been an office. Then he locked the door behind him. Sam just rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball, closing her eyes, desperate to sleep.

As Tony and Will continued to unload the kids from the van, Paul Bartlett and his companion, Marian Weiss, discussed what to do with Samantha.

"I'm still not happy having her around. We should get rid of her," Bartlett said, making sure Marian knew his displeasure at the added risk on having her there.

"Stop worrying, Paul," Marian replied. "I have a contact who deals with adult females. He's pretty sure he can find a buyer for her."

"Well, if this goes wrong, I'll hold you responsible," Bartlett told her.

"Me? You're the one who led the FBI to our building, remember?" she reminded him. "No doubt by now they realise that they're missing a couple of agents. It won't take long for them to start looking for you as well."

Bartlett was not impressed by her cutting comments, but he knew he had to keep his cool. They were so close to their big payday.

"So when are the buyers due for the brats?" Bartlett asked.

"Zukov will be here soon, the others not until tomorrow. We just have to keep them sedated and alive until then," Marian replied coldly.

"And what about her?" he asked, referring to Samantha.

"Landers wants some pictures of her to show his clients. Come on, we can do that while Will is sorting out the kids," Marian said, rooting around in her laptop case for her digital camera.

The pair entered the room where Tony had left Samantha. She was still lying listless on the filthy bed. Marian approached her and pulled the zip down roughly on her short skirt and tugged it down over her ankles, leaving her wearing just her panties. Sam struggled slightly, but Bartlett held her down on the bed. Once Marian had removed her skirt, Bartlett took pleasure in ripping open her blouse and exposing her ample bosoms. Samantha started to cry, unable to make sense out of what was happening to her, but instinctively realising that this felt very wrong. Bartlett pulled her to her feet and made her stand before them, wearing just her underwear. Marian snapped several pictures and laughed as she stood there, demeaned and entirely at their mercy. Then as they left, Bartlett threw her clothes back to her.

Sam was shaking and stood in the same spot for ages. The air was cold and damp against her skin. Maybe the assault on her person had acted as an antidote or maybe the sedative was wearing off, but when she looked down at her semi-naked self, it was a sobering and humiliating sight and she finally realised that she was in a whole lot of trouble. She looked around, picked up her clothes and quickly put them back on. Her breathing quickened as panic started to set in. Where was she, she wondered?

_How did I get here?_

Her first instinct was to try the door. She staggered to it, still unsteady on her feet. It was locked. She turned and looked around the room. The movement made her feel dizzy. She saw a window high on one wall. She climbed on a chair and looked out. All she could see was the mesh wire on the other side of it and a few run-down buildings. She found her jacket beside the bed and searched the pocket for her phone, hoping by some miracle that it was there, but it was gone.

_How am I going to get out of here? __Please, God, help me!_

**_TBC_**


	7. Chapter 7A

**_A/N - an error was pointed out to me and I had to go back and recitfy it for my sanity. Sorry!_**

Chapter 7

As Samantha struggled to come to terms with her situation, she was oblivious to the business dealings that had started to take place in another part of the building. Bartlett and Marian were meeting with Peter Zukov, one of their clients. He had arrived by private boat into the marina, which was only minutes away. He was impressed by the calibre of merchandise on offer. He was interested only in the female children and examined each one before making his decision. He produced a briefcase and gave it to Marian. She opened it, smiled and nodded to Bartlett that his payment was acceptable.

"This one?" Bartlett asked, confirming his choice.

"Absolutely," Zukov replied with an eerie smile.

Bartlett picked up the drowsy child and carried her to the waiting car.

"I'd advise you to keep her sedated until you get to your final destination," Bartlett said helpfully. "Another shot of this in three hours should do it," he said, handing him a syringe with a tiny amount of Propofol.

Zukov thanked him and they carried the child to the jetty. Without another word, the buyer boarded his boat with his new possession.

Bartlett hurried back inside to where Marian, Will and Tony had already begun to celebrate. Will and Tony had brought beers and rum and they toasted their first successful deal over the open briefcase of cash.

"You see, piece of cake," he said, reaching for a bottle.

"One down, two to go," Will said, clinking bottles with Bartlett.

"What about the Fed?" Tony asked, curiously.

"She's the added bonus," Marian replied. "I've already had quite a lot of interest online."

"Fine, but I don't want to have her around for much longer. She makes me nervous. Get it done sooner rather than later. Okay?" Bartlett said with resolve.

"No problem, one day, two at most," Marian replied.

Back at FBI Headquarters in Manhattan, technical analysts were running multiple software packages against all city traffic camera footage in the Bronx, hoping to get a hit on Bartlett's license plate.

While this was going on, Viv was in Olzcyk's office trying to explain why he had been woken in the middle of the night, only to hear that his senior supervisory agent was in hospital and a second agent was missing. Despite not really knowing what had happened herself, Viv did her best to explain. Olzcyk was livid, convinced that Jack Malone was responsible for this cock-up. Malone's maverick tactics had more than likely got his agent killed, not to mention screwed up any chance of finding Amy Nolan alive. He was anxious to know what leads they had and when Viv told him that they had very little at the moment, he nearly blew his top. She tried to explain that Jack's memory was affected by the drugs, but that he was still their best hope of a concrete lead.

Not surprisingly, Olzcyk had little sympathy for Jack. He was more worried about having to go to the Nolan family and explain all this to them. In the midst of all their discussions, Olzcyk's telephone rang. It was Elena asking that Viv come down to the Tech Room. Viv was only too glad to have the excuse to get out of his office. She met Elena in the Tech Room soon after.

"What have you got?" she asked as soon as she entered.

"Not sure yet. We've checked Samantha's cell phone. She received a call from Jack at 9.45pm. Then she placed a call to Martin at 10.23pm. So, we have to presume that she got to the building some time between then. We ran footage from traffic cameras two blocks away and have Paul Bartlett's car heading south at 11.41pm," Terry the forensic tech said, freezing a frame on the screen. "You can see from this that he's not alone in the car."

"Okay, can you get a clear picture of the other occupant?" Viv asked.

"This is the best I could get," Terry replied, bringing up a grainy, poor quality still from the footage. Viv sighed, disappointed, as there was no way to identify the occupant.

"Did you pick him up again anywhere?" Viv asked hopeful.

"Not yet. We've a lot to check still, but I did notice this," Terry said, rewinding the footage. "As you can see, there is little or no traffic at that hour. The only other vehicle to pass in the same direction was this white van two minutes earlier. It's registered to Capello Carpentry Co."

"Okay, it may be nothing, but I'll get an agent to check it out anyway," Viv said, grateful that despite Olzcyk's anger at the situation, he had given the okay for extra agents to help with the case.

In hospital room 233, Martin was trying to get comfortable in a chair across from Jack's bed. His back was aching from sitting in the same position for so long while he waited for Jack to wake. He was getting to his feet to stretch when a fearful cry filled the room.

"Sam!"

He turned quickly and looked over at Jack, who was now sitting up in bed, his eyes wide open and breathing heavily. Martin hurried immediately to his side.

"Jack, are you all right?" he asked, concerned for his boss.

Jack didn't answer. He continued to breathe heavily, obviously distressed. Perspiration soaked his hospital gown and his forehead. He turned to Martin.

"They have her."

"Who?"

"Bartlett. There were others. I don't know who they were," Jack said, his breathing calming slightly, relieved that it was coming back to him.

"Can you describe them?"

"I don't know, maybe. There was a woman and another guy, possibly two," Jack told him.

"Ages, colour, come on Jack, I need more than that," Martin pressed.

"I'm trying," Jack snapped, throwing back the bed sheets and putting his feet to the floor.

Martin tried to stop him, but Jack was steadfast this time and pushed him away.

"I need to get to the office. I can be of some use there," Jack insisted, shuffling unsteadily to the closet.

He opened the closet and found his suit jacket and pants but his bloodied shirt had been cut from him and disposed of. There was a scrubs t-shirt in its place. His legs felt shaky, so he sat to pull on his trousers.

"Jack, I don't think this is a good idea," Martin said, trying to change his mind.

"They have Sam," Jack repeated slowly, attempting to stress his point.

Martin wasn't sure whether to offer to help Jack dress or not, seeing the effort it was taking. Jack continued slowly, pausing every few seconds to take a deep breath. Martin wasn't sure if this was to stop the room swaying or ease the nausea. As Jack removed the gown, Martin saw the massive bruise just below his ribs, courtesy of Bartlett's kick. It looked painful as he pulled on the scrubs t-shirt. He watched uneasily as Jack slipped his shoes on. He was far from steady on his feet and kept a grip on the side of the bed as he did so. Martin knew that the doctors wouldn't be happy with him leaving, but realised that he hadn't a hope in hell of stopping him.

"It's not just Samantha. There was another child, a boy," Jack announced as his recollection returned. "We have to find out who he is."

"What boy?" Martin asked.

"He's maybe 8 years old, African-American. He was locked in a room. Shortly after I found him, someone did this," he said, gesturing to his damaged nose.

"We've no reports of a missing boy, but I'll get Elena to run that down," Martin told him.

By this stage, Jack was making his way to the door. Martin was still rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.

"Are you going to give me a ride or do I need to call a cab?" Jack said, turning back to the young agent.

"Eh, we'll hail a cab. I rode in the ambulance with you," Martin replied, following his boss out.

As they headed for the elevator, a nurse stopped them both.

"Where are you going? You can't leave yet, Mr. Malone," she said crossly. "We still need to run some tests. The doctor will not be happy."

"Tell him I'm fine," Jack said gruffly.

"Well, you can't just walk out," she replied just as curtly. "You'll need to sign an AMA form."

Jack sighed, unimpressed that his progress was being halted. He looked at Martin, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged but was careful not to smile.

"Where do I sign?" Jack asked, walking over to the nurse's station.

The nurse opened a filing cabinet and produced the necessary paperwork. Jack signed without question. As he turned to walk away, the nurse warned him that if he felt unwell, that he should return to the hospital immediately.

"I'll make sure he does," Martin promised, as Jack rudely walked away and pretended not to hear her.

The two agents rode the elevator in silence. As they descended, Martin asked,"Where to?"

"The office," Jack replied directly.

Martin knew better than to argue and did as he was asked. He hailed a cab outside and they were soon in FBI Headquarters, riding the elevator to the 12th floor. As the pair entered the bullpen, a silence descended around the office. Danny and Elena could not contain their surprise, seeing Jack coming towards them.

"Jack, should you be out of the hospital?" Elena asked, shocked at the sight of the injured man.

"I'm fine," Jack answered in reply.

"You don't look fine," Danny said before immediately regretting his candour.

"He signed himself out AMA," Martin told them much to Jack's annoyance.

"Are you crazy?" Elena asked. "You almost died last night."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Jack replied. "I was stupid. But right now, we have to find Sam. Where's Viv?"

"I'm here, Jack," Viv said from behind him, on her way back from the Tech Room. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help," Jack replied.

"Were you able to remember anything?" Viv enquired.

"Yeah, it's starting to come back. I followed Bartlett from his house to the building in the Bronx," Jack began, taking a seat at the table. "I was checking out rooms on the third floor and I came to one that was locked. I kicked the door in and found a young boy. He was maybe 8 years old and very frightened. I tried to call for back up but I think I got jumped. Next thing I remember, I was waking up with my hands tied behind my back and Bartlett standing over me. He wasn't alone. There was a woman, he called her, eh, Marian, I think. She's the one who injected me. I saw another male, about 40 years old. I'm pretty sure she called him Will," Jack explained. "I don't know how long I was there before they brought Sam in."

Everyone listened intently as Jack recounted the last time he saw Samantha.

"I couldn't really see her. I wasn't even sure it was her until Marian stuck a needle in me, then I heard her scream. I knew it was her. She called out to me….," Jack paused deliberately to compose himself.

"Was she hurt?" Danny asked, desperate for information.

"I couldn't tell. I don't think so," Jack replied, his head hanging low.

"If I get a sketch artist, do you think you could describe the others that were there?" Viv asked him eagerly.

Jack nodded in response. He was desperate to do anything to help. Martin told the group that Jack had discovered another child in the building and repeated the description that Jack had given him.

"I'll also need a sketch of the boy you saw," Viv told him. "I can run it through the Missing Person's Database."

Again Jack nodded silently, his thoughts straying to Samantha, wondering what had become of her. He hadn't really had time to think about it before now, but the reality of the situation was starting to hit home. Not only was Amy Nolan's picture on the white board in the situation room, but so was Agent Samantha Spade's. She was now officially a victim. He also knew that the fact that Sam being missing was entirely his fault. His quest against Bartlett and need for discretion had probably got her killed. If this ended badly, he wasn't sure he could live with himself.

Jack snapped back upon hearing his name.

"Jack?" Elena repeated, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, noticing how he had zoned out for those few seconds.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was miles away," he admitted.

"Maybe you would be more comfortable waiting in your office," she suggested, hoping he would take the opportunity to rest. "I'll send the artist in when he gets here."

"Sure, thanks," Jack said, getting to his feet and slowly walking to his office, watched all the way by what remained of his team.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N - OK, you've been so good so here's another one to keep you going.**_

Chapter 8

Slowly, the sedative was dissipating from Samantha's system. Her wits were gradually returning and she tried to figure out where she was and what was going on. She sat on the grimy bed and did her best to remember what had happened to her and how she had ended up locked in this sparse room, semi-naked. She struggled to summon the memory that seemed locked away but yet felt so close. It scared her that she couldn't recall how she got there. The last thing she remembered was being in the office and working on the Amy Nolan case. How the hell had she ended up here?

Giving up trying to remember, she concentrated on finding a way out. She listened at the door, hoping to hear anything that might tell her where she was or why she was there. As she listened, she was sure she could hear sobbing. It was faint and she wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just her imagination. It brought back a flicker of a recollection of being in the back of the van. There were children there. Oh no, she realised, they're trafficking children. Instinctively, she knew she had to tell Jack.

Jack! Suddenly a vivid, disturbing image flashed into her mind - an empty room. Jack was on the ground, his face bloody, lying so still. They had killed him. Jack was dead. She sat back on the edge of the bed. Tears welled in her eyes as the realisation that her boss, the man she loved, was gone. It was all too much. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she started to grieve for her lost love.

Back in the office in Manhattan, Danny answered a call from Agent Derek McIntyre, who was making enquiries about the van registered to the Capello Carpentry Company. He had spoken to Angelica Capello, wife of the registered owner. Anthony, her husband and the owner of the van, was out of town on business, according to his wife. He had been out of town since the previous weekend. When asked where he was, she informed McIntyre that he was doing a job in upstate New York. After hearing this, it became obvious to Danny that Capello was lying to his wife, knowing that his van had been spotted in the Bronx that very night. Now they had to find out why he was lying.

He went to Viv with the information. She made a decision to use Anthony Capello's wife to try and get a location on her husband.

"Get her to call him," Viv ordered. "Have Tech set up a trap and trace and get me a location. Elena, see if there is any connection between Bartlett and Capello."

Elena nodded and returned readily to her desk. Viv looked over towards Jack's office. He was sitting with the sketch artist, doing his best to describe the other people he saw at the building in the Bronx. Viv cringed when she saw Olzcyk heading towards Jack's office. He barged in and the sketch artist was ordered, rudely, to leave.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jack?" Alex demanded angrily.

"What does it look like?" Jack replied, somewhat taken aback by Olzcyk's aggressive manner.

"You're off this case, do you hear me? I want you to go home…now!" he snarled.

"But, I need…," Jack began to protest before stopping when Viv entered. Alex Olzcyk swung around to Viv as she stepped into the office.

"Agent Johnson," he said. "Agent Malone is off this case. I want you to get one of your agents to take him home."

"I'm afraid I can't do that right now, Alex. Right now Agent Malone is our only witness in this case," she said calmly and clearly. "By right, he should be in the still hospital, but we need him here."

Olzcyk glared at her, knowing she was being diplomatic but also hating that she was right.

"Fine, but he's to be treated as a witness. He is not lead agent on this case, do you hear?" Alex told her in no uncertain terms.

"I know that, sir," Viv replied with a courteous smile. "Now if you don't mind, Jack, we really need those sketches."

Olzcyk feeling a little awkward, retreated from the office. Jack looked towards Viv appreciatively.

"Thanks, Viv," Jack said gratefully.

"Don't thank me, Jack. He has every right to be angry with you, but right now my friend is missing and I plan on finding her," Viv replied. "The last thing I want is to be refereeing arguments between you two. Now will you finish up with the sketches, please?"

"Sure," Jack replied humbly, sitting back on the sofa, waiting for the artist to return.

He waited with his head in his hands and eyes closed, allowing another wave of dizziness to pass. It was clear to him that he was far from recovered, but however bad he felt, the knowledge that Samantha was in trouble spurred him on. Putting his best foot forward, he said nothing and did his best to assist the sketch artist.

Not long after that, Mrs. Capello was escorted by Agent McIntyre to the office where she was introduced to Agent Johnson. Viv then took her to the Tech Room where the trace would be established. Mrs. Capello was obviously upset but her concerns were more marriage related. She was oblivious as to why the FBI was trying to find her husband. Despite this, she agreed to make the call. It was agreed that she would tell him that one of their children was ill and that she was worried. All they asked her to do was to keep him on the line for however long it took to get a location.

Mrs. Capello made the call. Vivian was impressed by how calm and in control she appeared, despite the ordeal she was going through. She followed Viv's instructions to the letter and kept Tony talking about their son for as long as necessary. All the while, he continued his ruse, telling Angelica that he was in a motel outside Rochester and that if Cody, their son, got any worse, he would return home. She told him that she'd take the child to the doctor and call him if there was a problem. Sounding very natural in her conversation, she bid him goodbye and told him that she'd call him again the following evening.

"Did you get him?" Viv asked Jules, the technician, expectantly.

"Yep, he's in Wilmington, North Carolina," she told her.

"North Carolina? What's he doing there?" his wife asked.

"I don't know, but we'll find out and let you know," Viv promised.

She thanked Mrs. Capello for her help and sent her home with another agent, whose role it was to make sure that Mrs. Capello did not contact her husband again or do anything that might tip him off. Viv returned to Jack's office and found him sitting there, looking pale and exhausted.

"Is this one of the men you saw?" she asked, showing him a DMV photo of Anthony Capello.

"Yeah, I think so," Jack told her.

"How did you go with the sketches?" Viv asked.

"Pretty good," Jack replied. "Danny is running them through facial recognition, hoping to get a hit."

"Good," Viv replied. "We've traced Capello to Wilmington, North Carolina so I'm flying down to meet with locals and talk to him."

As she was filling Jack in, Elena knocked on the door. She gestured for her to enter.

"I was re-checking Bartlett's telephone records and Anthony Capello's cell number has appeared a couple of times. Not very often, but he has had contact with him," Elena informed them.

Jack looked at Viv, eyebrows raised. Their flimsy lead had suddenly become a viable lead.

"I'm coming with you," Jack said, standing up unconvincingly.

"No, Jack, you're in no fit state. Look at you. You need to go home and rest," Viv told him.

Jack looked at her with desperation, his eyes pleading his case.

"Viv, please, I won't get in the way," he implored humbly. "I need to be there, whatever happens."

Viv felt sorry for him. He'd really been through the mill and despite wanting to shake some sense into him, she relented.

"Don't make me regret this, Jack," she said. "I've already arranged a helicopter. Be ready."

Dawn had broken hours earlier and Samantha was feeling much more like herself. Everything had gone quiet outside her prison. She could no longer hear the voices or the sobbing. No cars had passed and there was no sign of life outside the window either. She felt very alone. Believing that Jack was dead, she started to wonder what she had to live for. Self-preservation was her instinctive goal, but she started to examine her life as it was. Estranged from her family and having lost the only man she ever truly loved, she started to doubt if she wanted to pick up where she left off, even if she did get out of this alive. She stared out the window and looked up at the sun. It was warm on her face and made her feel alive. The rays caressing her face reminded her of Jack's gentle touch and she took it as a sign. Giving up was not an option. There was no way he'd want that. She decided to be a survivor and to make Jack proud.

Unknown to her, further down the coast, the Coast Guard had boarded a private vessel off the Florida shore. They had noticed the boat's suspicious activities up and down the coast during the night and had suspected a drug run was taking place. Nothing had prepared them for what they actually found. There was resistance when they tried to board. The owner of the boat was wounded when he opened fire on the boarding party, who then returned fire. When they eventually secured the vessel, they found a semi-naked female child unconscious on a bed in the sleeping quarters. Her wrists were bruised, obvious signs that she had been tied up recently. Since she was unresponsive, they immediately transported her to a Florida hospital and then contacted the FBI in an effort to identify the child.

Viv and Jack were in the air when they received the call from Danny.

"Viv, we've just received a report from the Coast Guard that they recovered a child from a boat just south of Jacksonville. They were hoping we could help them identify her, but- get this-charts found onboard lead them to suspect that they had travelled from somewhere on the coast of North Carolina," Danny informed her.

"Really? Was the child able to tell them what had happened to her?" Viv asked.

"No, she was unconscious so they took her to the hospital. Agents down there are waiting to talk to her when she's up to it," Danny explained.

"Okay, thanks for that," Viv said as she signalled for the pilot to end the call.

Viv looked across at Jack, who was sitting beside her in the back of the chopper. She could tell he was feeling terrible, but he hadn't once complained. Martin had handed him some over-the-counter painkillers just before they went to the roof to catch the helicopter. She knew he had taken a couple and that was probably getting him through this. Part of her wanted to kill him for being so damn stupid going after Bartlett alone, while another part of her wanted to hug him and tell him it was going to be all right. She knew how bad he must be feeling and that he would, of course, be blaming himself.

Not long after that, they landed close to police headquarters in Wilmington. They were met by Police Captain Steven Moyer. He greeted them and couldn't help but stare at Jack's facial wounds. Both agents noticed but neither wanted to get into the whole story of how it had happened right now. The police captain had been expecting them and informed them that he had officers in an unmarked car watching a building near the old marina area. The van and Bartlett's car were confirmed parked close by. So far, there had been no visible activity, he reported. He told them that SWAT was getting into position, but having been told by Vivian that there may be children inside, they would have to reconsider their tactics.

Captain Moyer arranged for the agents to be taken to a holding area close to the boat company buildings but out of sight. He followed in another vehicle. When they got there, he took out the plans of the building and spread them on the hood of the car. It made it easier that it was a single story building with only a front and rear exit. Moments later, the SWAT leader approached the captain with vital news.

"Sir, thermal imaging shows seven heat sources inside, mostly concentrated in this area," he said, pointing to the central floor area.

"Well, what do we know?" Moyer asked.

"We know there are at least two kids inside," Jack said, breaking his silence.

"Do we know if they're armed?" Moyer asked.

"Yes, they are," Jack replied, having seen Bartlett's weapon and knowing that they had his sidearm and probably Samantha's also.

"Right," Moyer replied. "Then we need to establish contact if we want to get everyone out alive."

Jack, Viv and the SWAT commander agreed. Vivian was about to take a megaphone and try and establish contact when the police radio crackled into life. Moyer picked it up and answered it.

"This is 277, receiving, over."

"I'm patching the Coast Guard through to you, sir," the operator informed him.

"Go ahead," he said, listening intently.

"This is CG19. Sir, I have a lone vessel coming up the channel approaching your location, estimated arrival time ten minutes," the officer told him.

"Roger that. Do not intercept, repeat, do not intercept. Let them dock, over," Moyer ordered.

"Roger that!" was the response.

Moyer turned to the FBI agents and explained his theory.

"If you're right and this is a child trafficking ring, then we should let them trap themselves, don't you think?" Moyer asked with a hint of pleasure.

"Absolutely," Viv replied.

Jack looked across at her anxiously. He just wanted to rush inside the building and, hopefully, find Samantha. Much to his frustration, it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon. The waiting was agony. Not knowing was worse.

_**TBC**_

**_A/N - Apologies if there was a little too much cheese thrown in the middle there. _**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Paul Bartlett sat up, having slept heavily following his night of celebration with his cohorts. Several alcoholic beverages had been consumed and they all had carelessly fallen asleep. He looked at his watch. It was almost 11am. Their other buyer was due to arrive any time now. He stood up hurriedly and kicked at the feet of Will and Tony, who both were stretched out on boxes in the main area of the building. Marian was dozing on a chair close by.

"Wake up, guys," he said impatiently. "Chang will be here any minute now. Go and check the kids, make sure they're all still breathing."

Will Devlin stood up and stretched his arms above his head. He reached for a half empty bottle of beer and swigged its contents.

"I'm starving. Do you have anything to eat?" he asked.

"There are some chips over there," Bartlett pointed out. "Once this is done, you can go and get breakfast for us all."

Devlin grabbed a handful of chips and walked over to the short corridor where their prisoners were being held. He checked the boy and then the little girl. They were both awake, more lucid and very scared. He reported back to Marian that the sedatives had worn off.

Samantha had heard his footsteps along the corridor. She suspected that he was checking on them, so she lay back on the bed and pretended to be sleeping. She hoped that he might come in and be lax in the security so that she could take a chance and try and escape. To her disappointment, he opened the door, looked in, saw her sleeping and happily left her as she was.

Once he left, Sam stood up and climbed on the chair once again to look out of the window. It was then that she noticed something different to the scene that she had been observing all morning. In the distance she could have sworn she saw movement. She strained her eyes to try and figure out what she was seeing. Then she realised that it was a figure, clad head to toe in black, wearing a helmet. SWAT!

She prayed that she wasn't dreaming. Was rescue really only moments away? She braced herself and waited.

Outside, Jack and Viv waited impatiently as reports flowed from officers along the shore who were all covertly watching the boat that was approaching the tiny dock. Captain Moyer was hoping that the arrival of this boat would result in some of the gang emerging into the open, which would be the best opportunity for a take-down. The boat eventually docked and one occupant jumped to shore and tied the vessel. Then another Asian man stepped off and started to walk towards the boat buildings, looking around nervously as he did so.

All the while, Moyer's men maintained their cover and remained out of sight. Jack and Viv watched with baited breath for the action to unfold. Suddenly the front door of the boat building opened and two men emerged. Jack recognised Paul Bartlett immediately. The second man looked familiar, but he didn't know his name. It was the guy who had held him down while the woman injected him. There were no weapons visible as the men amiably greeted the recent arrivals. As the four met in the open, Moyer signalled for SWAT to go in and take them down.

With that, the scene erupted into one of hustle and noise as the members of the SWAT team sprinted towards the unsuspecting group of men. Immediately upon seeing them, Will Devlin reached for his handgun, which had been concealed in his jeans. He tried to get a shot off but was taken down with a single precise shot to the head. Bartlett and his Asian client attempted to run towards the water, but they didn't get far. Armed SWAT officers cornered them, barking orders for them to get on the ground, leaving them with no option but to surrender. The fourth man, who had arrived with the Asian buyer, also tried to run before turning and taking a few shots at the SWAT officer. He managed to wound one officer before being fatally wounded himself.

Once all the drama had subsided, Moyer grabbed his mega-phone and called to the remaining people inside the building.

"This is Captain Moyer, Wilmington PD. You are surrounded. Throw down your weapons and come out with your hands behind your head," he ordered.

Inside, Marian Weiss and Tony Capello were panicking. They had heard the shots and the commotion and witnessed the take-down from the windows. It was obvious that they were in big trouble. Capello checked the back door as an alternative escape route but could see police officers waiting by their unmarked car.

"What are we going to do?" Tony asked his female companion.

"Get the kids and the Fed. They're our ticket out of here," Marian said confidently.

Tony nodded and did as he was told. He rounded up the two terrified kids and marched them back to the centre room. He then returned for Samantha.

"Get up!" he ordered gruffly, aiming his weapon at her.

"You're not getting out of here, you know?" Sam told him defiantly.

"Oh yeah, we'll see about that," Tony said, trying to sound confident and pulling her from the bed on which she sat.

He shoved the barrel of the pistol into Samantha's back, compelling her to walk forward. She walked to the large open area where Marian was waiting with the kids. It was the first time that Samantha had seen the kids while not under the influence of the sedatives. She instantly recognised the young girl as Amy Nolan. She didn't know who the little boy was. She gave them as reassuring a smile as she could muster under the circumstances. Tony pushed her towards the kids and then moved them to one corner.

Meanwhile, Marian broke a pane in a window at the front of the building with her handgun and shouted out that they had hostages.

"If you try and come in here, I'll shoot them," she threatened.

"We don't want anyone else to get hurt. I just want to talk to you," Viv said, taking the megaphone from Moyer.

"Get your guys to back away from the building now or I'm sending you out a dead kid," Marian responded heartlessly. "Do it…now!"

Viv and Jack exchanged glances and nodded to Moyer to do as she asked. Moyer radioed the SWAT team and they retreated out of sight.

"Now what?" Moyer asked impatiently.

"Now we wait to see what they want," Jack told him, having dealt with hostage situations before.

Inside, Marian returned to where Tony had gathered the hostages. She closed up the case of cash from their one successful sale the previous night and turned to Tony.

"We're getting out of here," she announced.

"How?" Capello asked, looking puzzled.

"Chang's boat," Marian replied sounding calm.

"But the minute we step out of here, they'll shoot us," Tony warned.

"Not if we use them as our shield," she replied, referring to Sam and the children.

Tony agreed that it was their best chance. Marian decided that now was as good a time as any to tell the cops what they wanted. She walked back to the window with the broken pane and stood with her back against the wall for cover.

"We're getting out of here," she yelled. "Pull your men back from the jetty and away from the boat. When I see our path to the boat is clear, we will step out," she yelled as loudly as she could. "If I see one cop between the boat and us, I will put a bullet in the head of one of these kids. I'll give you three minutes to pull back."

Moyer looked at the federal agents for guidance. Vivian agreed that they had to comply with their wishes if they wanted to get the kids back alive.

"Have sharp shooters positioned on the roofs," she advised. "If they get a clear shot, I think they should take it, don't you?"

Jack agreed. The kidnappers were armed and desperate. Who's to say that once they get to the boat that they won't kill the hostages anyway, he suggested. Moyer agreed and advised the SWAT commander of their orders. They watched as all police personnel withdrew from the area and cleared a path to Chang's boat. Once the withdrawal was complete, Moyer informed the occupants of the boathouse over his megaphone.

Marian and Tony had ordered Sam and the two children to the front door. Both hostage-takers were armed, one with an FBI issue side arm taken from Samantha and the other with a Beretta 9mm. Sam watched them intently, sensing how jittery they were and realising how likely it was that someone would be shot if either of them panicked. She put her hands reassuringly on the shoulder of each child. They both looked up at her with pleading eyes. She gave them a gently squeeze and smiled kindly. She did her best to mask her own fear. She took a deep breath as Tony opened the main door a crack. He grabbed her tightly by the arm, shoved his pistol in her back and ordered her to walk out. He positioned her to the right of him, the side he knew the police were located. He kept the bulk of his body behind hers, out of the firing line, as they walked tentatively towards the boat.

Marian followed close behind with the two children either side of her as human shields. She held her weapon at the base of the skull of Amy Nolan as extra insurance. They continued slowly towards the motor cruiser.

Jack was positioned behind a police car with Viv and Moyer as they watched the scene unfold. He was so relieved to see Samantha walk out that door alive and apparently unharmed. She was bedraggled and wore no shoes but she was okay. However, her current predicament resulted in a surge of adrenaline. His primitive instinct was to run to her and protect her. He found himself reaching for his weapon before remembering that he had lost it when he was knocked unconscious back in the Bronx. All he could do was stand by and watch helplessly.

Moyer, meanwhile, was in contact with SWAT as the crisis unfolded. If an opportunity arose, they had a green light to take a shot, but the children had to be in the clear.

The group was on the jetty now nearing the boat. Samantha knew that if she could create a distraction that SWAT might be able to take out their captors. The jetty was relatively narrow and she noticed how close Tony was to the edge and how he was paying more attention to the whereabouts of the police than to his own whereabouts. It's now or never, she thought, as she turned suddenly and using all of her weight and momentum, rammed into him, sending him careening into the water.

Marian was stunned as she watched Tony topple into the water. Samantha had stumbled onto her hands and knees on the wooden jetty. Marian waved her weapon towards Sam. The children were screaming and crying before a single shot rang out. Marian lurched forward and landed face down. Knowing that Tony was still armed and floundering somewhere in the water, Sam ran to the children and grabbed them both by their hands. She led them quickly away from the jetty, putting distance between them and Tony.

It all happened so fast, Jack could hardly believe what he was witnessing. When the shot rang out, he froze, not knowing where the shot had come from initially or who had been hit. All he saw was Samantha lying on the jetty. He felt sick. When she got to her feet, he couldn't contain himself and started to run towards her and the children. He was followed closely by Moyer and Vivian and overtaken by several members of SWAT, who surged forward.

Sam looked at the blanket of people coming towards her. She thought for a minute that she saw Jack and then remembered that it couldn't be him. As the faces became clearer, she recognised Vivian and realised that she wasn't imaginging it. It was none other than Jack Malone, broken nose and bruises but very much alive. She was stunned. Their eyes met and she began to run directly towards him.

That was when the second shot rang out, sending everyone for cover. A volley of shots followed and Jack saw Marian Weiss shake on the ground as several more bullets entered her body and a handgun fell from her dead hand onto the wooden jetty. Jack returned his attention to Samantha, who had stopped coming towards him for some reason. Her eyes were wide with shock, her mouth open and she let go of the children's hands. They continued running as she faltered in her step, before falling to her knees.

Jack reached her just as she collapsed. He grabbed her and immediately felt the warm, stickiness oozing from a wound in her back. He dropped to his knees and held her close.

"Jack?" she said, looking up into his eyes.

"It's okay, Sam," Jack said trying to sound calm. He could hear Vivian shouting for an ambulance to be called. "You did good. Just stay with me now, okay?" he pleaded, watching as her eyelids drooped.

"I …. thought you were….. dead," Sam said breathlessly.

"No way, you can't get rid of me that easily," Jack joked, trying to reassure her.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Sam said, a cough taking her breath.

"Sorry? No Sam, it's me who should be sorry. I got you into this mess," Jack admitted, stroking her hair tenderly from her face.

Sam took a couple of ragged breaths before closing her eyes.

"No, Sam, please stay with me," Jack begged, squeezing her tightly. "Please, Sam, don't leave me. I love you, Sam," he whispered, before pulling her limp body close to his.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

_"No, Sam, please stay with me," Jack begged, squeezing her tightly. "Please, Sam, don't leave me. I love you, Sam," he whispered, before pulling her limp body close to his._

Chapter 10

Viv looked on helplessly as Jack cradled Samantha, holding her tightly against his body. The paramedics arrived quickly, having been on standby for the operation, and had to convince him to let her go so they could help her. Their main concern was her blood loss, which was significant, judging by the growing pool beneath her. They told Jack that an air ambulance was on its way to take her to hospital. Jack stood back, shaking noticeably, and watched as they worked calmly and competently on her. Viv came over to him and linked her arm around his as a gesture of solidarity.

"This is my fault, Viv," he said despondently, still staring at Sam. "I love her so much and I never told her," he said with tears in his eyes.

"I think she knows, Jack," Viv told him. They could hear the sound of the approaching helicopter in the skies overhead. "She's strong, Jack. They'll get her to hospital and she'll be fine," Viv said, hoping she was right.

Jack couldn't take his eyes off Sam as the paramedics battled to save her. She looked so pale and delicate; he desperately wanted to be the one helping her but what could he do? The paramedics were so proficient at their jobs that he felt some morsel of reassurance. Viv kept watch of what was going on around them, as well as keeping an eye on Samantha's condition. Tony Capello had been hauled out of the water by two hulking SWAT members. He was dripping wet and looked like a drowned rat. A sheet had been placed over Marian Weiss' body, which lay only a matter of feet from them. The two children, who had been through such a terrifying ordeal, were sitting with police officers in the back of an ambulance getting checked out. Captain Moyer was organising a search of the building and the boat and trying to secure the various scenes for technical examination.

Viv then realised that she still didn't know the identity of the second child, and despite needing to support her fellow team members, she still had a responsibility to complete her job. She explained to Jack that she still had work to do and reluctantly left him standing dazed and upset at the scene of Samantha's shooting. Viv walked over to the ambulance and introduced herself to the traumatized children.

"Hi, my name is Special Agent Vivian Johnson. You're Amy, right?" she asked the little girl. The girl nodded. "We're going to get you home to your mom and dad real soon, okay?"

Amy smiled and nodded eagerly.

"And what's your name?" she asked the little boy sitting beside her.

"Theo," the boy replied.

"Hi, Theo," she said with a kind smile. "And what's your surname, Theo?"

"Adekoya," he replied.

"That's a really nice name, Theo, and where do you live?" Viv enquired affably.

"In New York," he replied. "In the rail yard."

It started to make sense now to Viv why his disappearance hadn't been reported. His family had to be either illegal immigrants, homeless or he was possibly a runaway.

"Do your parents live there too?" she asked, trying to find out more.

"Just my dad," he said, nodding shyly.

"You're a very brave boy, Theo," Viv told him. "I'm going to get my friends to find your dad but I'm going to need your help. Do you think you could help me?"

The child's eyes widened slightly and he smiled and nodded that he could.

"Good boy," Viv replied.

Viv continued to extricate as much information as she could from Theo before calling the New York office and asking Elena to arrange for someone to go to the rail yard and try and find the boy's father.

As she was arranging this, the localised noise increased as the air ambulance took off from a nearby landing area. She looked up as it appeared from behind some buildings and rose skywards. She offered a silent prayer that its patient, her friend and colleague, would be all right.

Only then did she even think to inform Elena that they had located Samantha and broke the news that she had been shot. Needless to say, Elena was very upset and anxious for more information. Sadly, Vivian was unable to tell her anything more except that Jack had gone to the hospital with her.

Meanwhile, Jack had climbed on board the helicopter after the ambulance crew had secured their patient on board. He sat anxiously to one side as the helicopter took flight on its way to the nearest Trauma Centre. He had hold of one of Samantha's hands and clung on to it for dear life. She was so beautiful, he thought, as he watched her lying there. She looked like she was just sleeping, except she was much paler than he would expect and had an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth. Jack had this feeling, almost as if he was in a bubble. He could hear each of Samantha's raspy breaths and his own words of comfort to her, but his mind blocked out the roar of the rotor blades.

In his daze, it felt as if there was just her and him inside that bubble, in their own tiny universe. But something was wrong in their universe; she wouldn't look at him, she wouldn't wake up. More than anything, he wanted her to wake up.

Throughout the short flight, the medics kept close watch on her blood pressure because it was already dangerously low and they feared she would deteriorate quickly. However, they landed on the roof of Wilmington Memorial Hospital after only ten minutes and Samantha had remained relatively stable throughout the flight. They were met by a team of trauma specialists, who quickly whisked Samantha down to a Trauma Room on the fifth floor. Jack went with them, even though he barely had the strength to carry himself.

As the medical team crashed through the double doors of the Trauma Room, a nurse prevented Jack from entering. He was stopped outside the door, having no choice but to let them take her away from him. He looked a lost and lonely figure as he stood outside facing those closed doors, shoulders hunched, blood-covered hands by his side. He had no idea how long he had been standing there when a passing nurse spoke to him.

"Sir, are you all right?" she asked, noticing the blood on his hands.

As he turned around to her, he staggered and reached for the wall to steady himself. The nurse's reactions were quick and she rushed to grab him and veered his considerable frame in the direction of the nearest chair, which happened to be along the wall outside the Trauma Room.

"Woah!" she said as she guided him to the seat. "Are you hurt?" she asked, referring to the blood on his hands and his bruised face. Jack held his hands out in front of him and paled visibly. His stomach started to flip and Jack swallowed deliberately, trying to retain the meagre contents of his stomach. The nurse recognised the telltale signs immediately and was able to grab a dish from a nearby trolley just in time. He grabbed the dish from her and vomited. Once finished, the nurse handed him a tissue and took away the bowl.

"I should probably get someone to check you over," she decided and was about to go and find a doctor when Jack piped up.

"No, I'm okay," he said stopping her. "It's just been a rough day."

"Sure looks that way," she replied with honesty.

"It's my fault she's in there, you know?" Jack told her, sounding frail and piteous.

"Who is in there?" she wondered.

"Samantha," Jack replied.

"Is she your wife?" the nurse enquired.

"No, she's my…." Jack began before realising he didn't know how to describe her. "I work with her," he said awkwardly enough for the young woman to recognise that they were more than just colleagues.

"You love her," she said decisively. Jack smiled coyly.

"Yes," he replied, unafraid to admit it.

"She has the best team working on her," she said, in an attempt to ease his fears. "How about you let me get someone to check you over so that you can be there when she wakes?"

Jack considered what she said for a moment.

"I'd like to be here in case the doctor is looking for me," Jack told her.

"Okay, how about I go and find out how she's doing and then you let me check you over?" she suggested. Jack agreed.

She entered the Trauma Room and returned after a minute or two.

"They'll be taking her up to surgery in the next couple of minutes. She's stable for now," she told him. "You can see her if you wish."

Jack nodded eagerly. Of course, he wished!

The young nurse took him into the Trauma Room and over to where Samantha lay. She was hooked up to monitors, drips and oxygen. It was all very frightening for Jack. She looked like a doll lying there, broken, her porcelain features fragile behind the oxygen mask. He approached nervously, half afraid she was dead. She looked terrifyingly still; he couldn't be sure she was breathing. The only hint that she was alive was her breath fogging the plastic mask every few seconds.

He almost jumped out of his skin when her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes. He wasn't expecting that. She reached her hand up to lift the mask from her face and spoke.

"Jack," she whispered weakly.

"Sam, I'm here," he answered, grabbing hold of her hand immediately.

"Yes, you really are," she said sounding as though she had just woken from a dream.

"Ssshhhh," Jack said, placing the mask back over her face. "Save your strength. We can talk when you get back."

Sam nodded, her eyelids drooping once more.

"We have to take her now," a doctor said to him. "Don't worry, we'll look after her."

Jack looked at the doctor and found solace in his words. As they wheeled Samantha to the OR, the Trauma Room emptied and Jack was left alone, feeling bewildered. He didn't know what to do. He should call someone, he thought, but whom? He was considering this when the pretty little nurse that had earlier shown him in, came into the Trauma Room looking for him.

"There you are," she said when she saw him. "They've taken her to the OR?"

Jack nodded. He really didn't feel like chatting. He wanted to be with Samantha, but if he couldn't be there physically, he would be there in spirit.

"Come on then, you promised," she said, taking hold of his elbow and proceeding to guide him towards the door.

"Huh?" Jack said, not remembering their deal.

"You promised you'd let me have a look at you once you got to see Samantha, remember?" she reminded him.

"Oh, okay then. It won't take long, will it?" he asked anxiously.

"Not at all," she smiled.

She took him to a cubicle in the ER and made him lie back on a gurney. Jack was actually relieved to be lying down. He felt exhausted. She questioned him about how he came to acquire his broken nose and other injuries. Jack told her the short version of what had happened. She was stunned that this had all happened in the last 24 hours. No wonder he felt so bad. She insisted that he remain there until she got a doctor to check him out. He put his head back and relaxed against the pillow.

He hadn't realised that he had dozed off until a noise close by woke him with a start. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned to find Viv sitting there, smiling oddly at him.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, straightening up sorely and feeling a little embarrassed to have dozed off. "Is there any news on Sam?"

"Relax, Jack. She's still in surgery. I've only just got here. Are you okay?" she enquired, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," he admitted.

"Tired, dehydrated and concussed," a doctor said, pulling back the curtain surrounding the bed and entering the cubicle. "I really should have you admitted," he said seriously.

"No, really, I'm fine," Jack insisted. There was no way he was going to spend a night in a hospital bed when Sam needed him. "Anyway, I'll be here in the hospital for the next while with Samantha, so I'll be fine."

The doctor turned towards Viv hoping for some support but she raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She knew he wasn't going to win this one.

"Can I go then?" Jack asked eagerly.

"I suppose I can't force you to stay. Just let the saline drip finish and then you can go," the doctor said, sounding a little exasperated.

Jack thanked the doctor and looked up at the half bag of saline that was dripping agonisingly slowly into his arm. He didn't even remember the IV needle being inserted.

"So, how are the kids?" Jack asked Viv.

"They're both distressed but unhurt. They're being looked after down the hall. Elena and Danny are trying to locate Theo's father. Amy Nolan's parents are being flown here as we speak. The child they found on the boat in Florida has been identified as Jennifer Torres. Her mom is a crackhead in the Bronx and didn't even realise that her daughter was missing. She thought she was in school," Viv said, shaking her head in disgust.

"It's all so screwed up," Jack commented.

"Tell me about it," Viv replied. There was a lull in conversation for a minute before Jack broke the silence.

"I never thanked you, Viv," he said seriously.

"Thanked me? For what?" Viv asked, not used to Jack opening up.

"Sticking up for me when Olczyk wanted my hide," Jack replied. "And letting me come down here with you. I know you didn't have to and I want you to know that I appreciate it."

"Jack, it's been a hell of a week. All I want right now is to hear that Samantha is going to be all right," Viv said, feeling uncomfortable receiving his thanks.

Jack understood exactly what she meant. The most important thing is Samantha, he realised.

_**A/N - thanks to jjbird for pointing out that I've been spelling Olczyk's name incorrectly all this time. Might as well fix it for the remaining chapters. Only one to go!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N - this is the final chapter of for this story. More than anything, I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing. Hope this lives up to expectations. _**

Chapter 11

The waiting was killing him. He had left the ER over an hour ago and taken up position outside the Operating Room. Sam was still in surgery. They had been in there an awful long time, he thought, as he checked his watch yet again. Viv was there waiting with him. Together they waited in silence. Words were useless at a time like this. At one stage Viv strolled down the corridor and returned a few minutes later with two cups of sugar-laden coffee. She handed one to Jack, who accepted it gratefully.

Eventually, the doors of the Operating Room opened and a doctor began to come towards them. Jack got to his feet expectantly. He looked into the doctor's face, trying to read his expression.

"Agent Malone?" he asked before divulging any information.

"Yes, how is she?" Jack asked impatiently.

"She's going to be just fine," the doctor said with a broad smile.

Jack released a massive sigh and sat back down as if all his strength had abandoned him. It was the best news he could have hoped for.

"The bullet nicked her lung but managed to cause relatively minor damage after that. She was very lucky, all things considered. Another inch to the left and she may not have walked again. She'll be in a lot of discomfort and will need physical therapy, but she'll be back on her feet in no time," he said happily.

Jack hardly heard a word after "she's going to be just fine". It was all he needed to hear.

"Thank you, doctor," Viv said, realising Jack was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Thirty minutes later, Jack and Viv were sitting at Samantha's bedside waiting for her to wake. They both appreciated how lucky she had been. It could all have ended so differently. They didn't have to wait too long before the effects of the anaesthesia began to wear off.

Jack was the first to notice her fingers move slightly and the occasional flutter of her eyelids. He stood up and leaned over her, smiling. That was the sight that greeted Samantha as she came to, Jack's chocolate brown eyes gazing down lovingly at her, that and the rather unsightly splint that covered his nose.

"Jack?" she slurred, sounding very groggy.

"Yeah, Sam, it's me," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"I got shot," she announced, as if he didn't know already.

"I know, kid. You're going to be fine though," he reassured her.

"I can't believe you're here," she said to him.

"Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?" he asked.

"I saw what they did to you. I was sure you were dead," she said, gripping his hand tightly.

"Luckily, Viv and Martin found me. I'm fine, a bit sore but I'll live," he told her, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

Viv leaned in and made her presence known with a quick hello. Sam smiled, happy to see her.

"The kids!" she said, suddenly remembering the youngsters who were with her when she was shot. She was getting anxious.

"They're okay," Viv told her. "They're waiting downstairs for their folks."

"They are? That's great," Sam smiled, closing her eyes. She was still feeling drowsy from the anaesthesia. Jack and Viv noticed this and told her to rest. They left her sleeping and went to the cafeteria on Vivian's insistence. It had been a long day and neither of them had eaten in quite some time.

Jack stayed with Sam all that night. Vivian checked into a motel close by. The next morning she had to fly back to New York along with Theo and the Nolan family. Bartlett and Capello were also escorted back for questioning and arraignment. Martin, Danny and Elena were very anxious to know how Samantha was doing and they were very glad to hear that she had a comfortable night and should be out of hospital within a week.

Viv had checked Jack into the motel she had stayed in, despite knowing that he probably wouldn't leave Sam's side. Having seen how he looked at her as she lay in the hospital bed, there was no doubt in her mind that he was still mad about her. Personally, she had no objection to the two of them as a couple. Hell, Danny and Elena were a couple and it didn't affect their work. It was different for Jack and Sam though. He was her boss, which complicated matters. She knew the brass upstairs would have a lot to say if they found out. Anyway, she decided that it was their business and that she would certainly be keeping her nose out of it.

Over the next week, Sam slowly regained her strength and coped with her pain as best she could. It helped having Jack there every day to keep her spirits up. He only left her side after she insisted that he get some rest. He was way past exhausted when she had to almost force him out of her room on the third day. Eventually he relented and went to the motel room that Viv had reserved for him.

He was like a new man when he arrived to see Samantha the following morning. He had obviously taken some time to do some shopping and arrived sporting a new casual shirt and jeans. He also brought Samantha a cute nightshirt and toiletries to make her hospital stay more comfortable. They spent a lot of time together in that hospital room, more than they probably had ever spent together. They talked like they had never talked before. Jack was very forthcoming about his past, about his perceived failures as a husband and father and his hopes for the future. Sam also opened up to Jack. She told him how distraught she was when she believed that he was dead. It was the worst thing she had ever experienced and she was adamant that she never wanted to experience it again.

Jack promised that he would make sure that she never had to go through anything like that again.

"How can you promise that, Jack?" Sam asked seriously. "I mean there are no guarantees in this job."

"Well, maybe there's more to life than _this _job," Jack said without a hint of a smile.

"Seriously?" Sam asked, unable to tell if he meant it.

"I've had a lot of time to think over the last few days," he told her. "I want you, Sam. Everyday my heart longs for you and if it means having to choose the job or you, it will always be you."

Samantha was stunned. He looked so sweet and yet he was deadly serious. She sat up in the bed and tried to make sense of it.

"Jack, I would never ask you to choose," Sam said with a hint of anxiety.

"I know you wouldn't," Jack replied. "But the regulations do. Sam, I can move; it's no big deal. Life is too short for these silly games. I love you and I think you love me. That's all that should matter," he said, taking her hand in his.

A massive smile spread across Samantha's face. Was she really hearing this? Did Jack Malone just profess his love for her? Her smile soon disappeared and was replaced by a look of astonishment when Jack produced a tiny black box from his pocket. He looked adoringly into her eyes and opened the lid of the box. He raised it on the palm of his hand and offered it to her.

Sam couldn't believe her eyes. Inside was a magnificent platinum ring with a three-diamond setting. Her open mouth went dry, hardly able to believe what was happening.

"Samantha Spade, will you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?" he asked, leaning over the side of the hospital bed. Not the most romantic of settings, but hey.

"Jack, I…eh, I don't know what to say," Sam stammered, completely taken aback as Jack slipped the ring onto her finger.

"I was kinda hoping for a 'yes'," Jack smiled.

Sam's heart was leaping in her chest. It was screaming 'listen to me, listen to me'. For once, she decided to listen. It was about time they made a decision based on just the two of them, not Maria, not the kids, not the job… just each other.

"Okay," she smiled with tears forming in her eyes. "Yes, then."

"Really?" Jack asked, not sure he had heard her correctly. He had imagined how this would go and her saying yes so many times over the last few days, he wasn't sure if he was day-dreaming. Had this beautiful creature just accepted his proposal?

"Really," Sam repeated. "Yes!"

Jack leaned in and placed a lustful, passionate kiss on her lips. They both melted into the kiss and the passion intensified. Eventually, Jack pulled away for both their sakes. After all she was recovering from major surgery and much as he wanted to take her there and then, he just managed to control himself.

"Rain check?" he asked, jovially.

"Rain check," Sam panting heavily, reluctantly agreed.

She looked at the ring on her finger and was surprised at how natural it felt there.

She had always thought that committing to someone in this way would freak her out, but it didn't. It felt so right. At that moment, she was the happiest woman on the planet.

Jack lightly took hold of her fingers and raised the back of her hand to his lips and placed the gentlest of kisses on her hand. This was the most nerve-wracking thing he had ever done and it had worked out amazingly well. She said 'yes'. He couldn't believe it. Maybe his luck was changing at last?

THE END

**A/N – ****of course, who can resist a 'happily-ever-after'. Hope it's wrapped up enough for you. I really want to thank you all for your wonderful patience and encouragement. Till next time...adieu!**


End file.
